Luke 14:1, 7-11

“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” vs. 11

When Jesus went to the house of the leader of the Pharisees on the sabbath, Luke says that they were watching him closely–and he was watching them! And their behavior in choosing a place at the table triggered some choice comments from him about self-exaltation. Their culture, like ours, placed a huge premium on honor and people would go to any lengths to impress their peers. We see the same sort of thing. Our children learn quickly that they need to put themselves forward to get recognition and clever self-promotion has become essential for advancement in business. Admittedly that’s probably not going to change in the kind of society that we’ve built for ourselves, especially since nearly every business or profession is dependent on aggressive marketing for survival. But once in a great while we find someone who goes against the grain, a person who has chosen to live humbly in this world of competition. They are like a breath of fresh air! They are who they seem to be, with no airs or sense of entitlement. And they really don’t care if they get honors or recognition. Content to be who they are, they love deeply and serve faithfully–and if they remain anonymous, that’s perfectly okay with them. And because they don’t care if they are ever exalted, they become blessings to us all!

Thought for the Day: What are the blessings of humility?