Category Archives: Humility

Special Treatment for the Corrupt

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They didn’t say it out loud, but the people in line resented me as I was ushered to the front and given the best seat on Space Mountain in Disneyland.  “Hey, Buddy, we been standing in line for an hour…”  They didn’t say it because they assumed I was some important celebrity who naturally would receive special treatment.  (Actually, I simply knew a guy who worked the ride.)  We have gotten used to it when so-called important people get the best seats, free tickets, etc.  I suppose all that, as screwy as it is (because they could most afford to pay for those perks…), is relatively harmless.

But, in fact, those same important people sometimes also get a free pass when they break the law.  Most of us grudgingly accept that, too, knowing there is little we can do about it.  Perhaps it would help to know that God is angry about it too.  He says,

22 Woe to those …
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.    (Isaiah 5:22a & 23)

Those who get away with breaking the law, who think they deserve special treatment because they are better or more powerful than the rest of us, should pay careful attention to the first word quoted above, “Woe…”  “Woe” may not seem to be such a deal unless you remember that it was dictated by Almighty God.  If your neighbor’s kid says, “Woe…” to you, you might shrug it off.  But if it turns out he’s a champion fighter in the UFC, well, then you got a problem.  But if God says, “Woe…” you’ve got a whole lot more than a mere problem.  Here’s what God has planned for those to whom He says, “Woe…”

24 Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw
and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay
and their flowers blow away like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.  (Isaiah 5:24)

There will come a day, God says, when the corrupt will be destroyed as with fire and will no longer be able to propagate their injustice (their roots and flowers will decay and blow away).  If you have been angry about someone getting treated as though the laws do not apply, take heart.  However, while you are taking heart, also take note:  this outcome is for those who “have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned [His]… Word.”

Old Wisdom

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In “When Nations Die,” Jim Nelson Black examined the common causes behind the fall of Carthage, Greece and Rome.  These powerful empires didn’t fail because they were attacked from outside; they rotted away from the inside with what Black calls “Social, Cultural and Moral Decay.”  Such decay results when the people abandon traditional wisdom and values.  People turn away from the mores and beliefs of the past and attempt to rewrite new ones, based on what they believe is new and more sophisticated thinking.   That’s what happened to Carthage.  The same process brought down the empire of Greece and then Rome.  We have seen similar attitudes and consequences in Europe and Not-so-Great-Anymore Britain.  And here.

You might think we would get the point.  That guy you just passed on the highway with his hood up?  He ignored his “Check Engine” light.  If we paid attention to history, we would see a bright, flashing “Check Engine” light on the dashboard of the United States.  But the prevailing attitude is to put tape over it and drive on.

This is more puzzling since we also see examples in history of nations that have returned to old wisdom and have prospered.  The Old Testament is full of such examples.  Rwanda is a present day demonstration of this truth.

But it’s not just any old wisdom that matters.  It’s not about hanging on to old superstitions and myths.  The old wisdom that is critical for national survival is grounded on a deep reverence for our Creator, God.  Standing in humble awe before the One for Whom quantum mechanics is two plus two.  Recognizing He just might know what works best.

1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:1-6

Firm in What?

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Wars and rumours of war aren’t indicators of Jesus’ return.  Neither are famines and earthquakes.  Jesus called those things “the beginning of birth pains.”  First labor pains ordinarily indicate the start of an unstoppable progression of events but not the imminent conclusion of them.  So what indicators did Jesus say would tip us off the time was drawing close?   Among other signs, Jesus included this troubling thought:

 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,  (Matthew 24:12)

The more we encounter wickedness, the more  tempted we are to respond in kind.  The recent sniping murder of Dallas policemen is a sad case in point.  Somebody thought, “Enough is enough; I’m going to make someone pay.”  That’s an extreme example.  Maybe you would never go that far.  But Jesus taught us to actually respond in the opposite way:

27 “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”  (Luke 6:27b-28)

When most people find it too tough to respond to wickedness with love, that is a sign the end times are drawing to a close, that Jesus is coming soon.  What do you think?  Are we there yet?  Has the love of most grown cold?  If you had to make the call, based on your own attitudes, what would you say?  For me, that is a sobering question.

But don’t give up!  No matter what, don’t abandon love.  That first quote above is only the beginning of Jesus’ sentence.  Here’s the whole thing:

12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,  13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)

Stands firm in love.

More is More

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In “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the people who had seen the extraterrestrial vehicles in the sky, gathered on the hill in wonder and amazement, hoping to see more.  You should experience that attitude when you attend a church: people who have glimpsed a beautiful and powerful mystery and want more.  Sadly, many churches seem to know all the answers, to have everything tied up in neat bundles.  They have lost their taste for mystery.  Stay away!  Those so-called churches are dangerous; they have died.  A pastor who considers himself to be an expert has not encountered God.

When Paul encountered Jesus, it blew his mind so thoroughly he couldn’t see for days.  Before that, he was an expert.  After that, he wrote,

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12

Powerfully Weak

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It was malpractice and folks got so upset, the doctor skipped town for good.  He had applied hot poultices to the eyes of a 6 week old infant, causing her to become permanently blind.  But that tragedy didn’t stop the child.  Even without the American Disabilities Act, Fanny Crosby managed to live a triumphant and happy life. 

You probably know she wrote the hymn, Blessed Assurance (maybe not; I had to  Google it…) but how many other hymns did she write?  How about 5500, and that’s just the ones she submitted to her publisher.  She had another 2000 in reserve.  But we cannot measure her life by simply counting the number of songs she wrote. Try to imagine their combined impact. Someone slides into the back pew of a country church, devastated and grasping for hope. When the song begins, she cannot bring herself to sing but soon the swell of the voices and the encouraging lyrics penetrate her gloom. As she hums along and then quietly, tentatively, joins in, her spirits are lifted. Multiply that experience by many thousands. Only God knows how profoundly Fanny blessed others as her hymns are still sung, well over 100 years later.  How could a blind person have led such a powerful life?  The answer is simple and yet profound: The Holy Spirit revealed His power through her weakness.

Paul said it like this:

…I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan [some believe this was also trouble with eyesight], to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  …For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7b – 9 & 10b with my comments in brackets)

If you see a strong man bend a pipe, you think, “No big deal; He’s strong.”  You see a little kid do it, then you start wondering, what’s the secret?  The same principle is at work when the Holy Spirit gives special strength to someone who is weak. 

Like Fanny.

Or you.

Humble Faith

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Molly was a faithful dog.  She stuck close, kept her eyes on me and responded eagerly when I gave her a command.  She trusted me.  There was a time when she suddenly took off after another dog, running as fast as she could.  I called out, “Molly, come!”  and she locked her legs in a slide, reversed direction and charged back.  Best dog I’ve ever known.

Molly’s faithfulness was also humility.  That’s a strange word to apply to a dog – that is, unless you have ever owned a terrier.  Terriers are not humble; they think their own ideas are better than yours,   But Molly was humble.  She trusted what I said was best.

Like David, who, despite his role as King of Israel, displayed the same dual attitude of faith and humility.  He wrote:

“For You [God] are my rock and my fortress [faith]; and for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me [humility]…”  (Psalm 31:3 with my added notes in brackets)

In the ultimate statement of faith and humility, David bet his life on God:

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit…”  (Psalm 31:5 – quoted by Jesus on the cross)

Faith and humility are two sides of the same coin.  You obey God because you trust Him.

You Can’t Say That…

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Women are weaker than men.  Are you shocked?  Is it even legal to say such a thing?  Is it sexist?  My dictionary says that sexism is arbitrary   stereotyping of men or women, based upon their gender.  But when you describe a difference between men and women that is grounded in reality, it is no longer arbitrary.  Over the course of my life, I’ve discovered some very wonderful differences women have from men.  And, women are, in fact, weaker.  That is why they compete separately in athletics.

But does being weaker make women lesser?  Not according to this verse in the Bible:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, …  –  (1 Peter 3:7a)

Husbands are instructed to be understanding of their wives and to show them honor as the weaker partner since, as co-heirs  of God’s grace, they are equals.  Weaker, but equal: how can that be?  Or, perhaps more to the point, why would that be?  Is it possible that women’s weakness makes them uniquely equipped for a special function?  And also, men, in their strength?

My guitar is very fragile.  It must be fragile in order to resonate with a beautiful tone.  So, I protect it with a tough case.  The case is stronger but it is not better or more important.  When I want to play music, most of the time I use the guitar, not the case.  But without the case’s protection, my guitar would have been destroyed long ago.  Which is more important?  It depends on whether you are talking about music or security.  The guitar and the case need one another and work together in their separate roles.

As do women and men. “They” say we can’t say such things.

“They” are wrong.

 

Beyond “Wisdom”

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“Help! Rape!”  My little boy eyes bulged as wide as yo-yo’s as I read the damp message I’d found in a bottle, floating in the lake.  I knew it was something bad, but back then, little boys were not taught much about rape, or even sex.  I had no recourse but to ask my mother what it meant.  I laugh to think back on that moment, the look on her face, because she would have been profoundly uncomfortable if I’d asked her what necking was!  She went through a few inarticulate false starts and then informed me that rape meant “misbehavior.”  Aha!  New information, I thought.  I hurried over to my brother to impress him with my advanced knowledge and wisdom.  “I know what rape means,” I proclaimed.  “Really?”  “Yes,” I said, drawing myself up to my full, second grade stature, “it means misbehavior!”   That was a moment of great pride for me.   That is, until I began to realize how incomplete my lofty wisdom really was.

There have always been people who think they know it all, who draw themselves up and make proclamations based on the fullness of their great wisdom.  God laughs.  In their wisdom they have been blinded to some of the most basic elements of reality.  So Paul wrote:

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”.  (1 Corinthians 3:18-19)

Every year about this time, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we hear from the “wise” who consider us foolish. They draw themselves up and proclaim how ludicrous it is to believe in a God Who would allow His Son to be tortured, and how naive it is to think He could have been restored to life.  Which is tragic, because Jesus endured that torment out of love for them, to rescue them.  And they cannot see it.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”  –  (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)

Before you bet your life on the wisdom of those who sound smug, consider the difference between what it means to be “perishing” and “saved.”  No doubt, there were some experts on the Titanic who knew it was folly to think such a ship could go down.  After all, it had been designed by the best engineers to prevent such a thing.  If only they had been able to see beyond their own wisdom…    Just possibly, the God of the Universe knows a bit more than those who think they are wise here on earth.

Powerful Love

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What would you do if your power was unlimited?  If you had the power to do anything, what would it be?  You could find a phone booth, grab your cape and be like Superman, flying about avenging injustice and stomping out evil.  Sound good?  It did to Jesus.  Except Jesus  didn’t use a phone booth and a cape.  No x-ray vision, no powerful explosions.  The first equipment He used included a bowl, a washcloth, and a towel.

 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. … Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  –  (John 13:1–5 excerpts (NIV84))

This was an act considered so demeaning, it could only be required of a gentile slave.  Jesus knew there was no limit to the power God had given Him, so He humbled Himself and did what seemed to be the least powerful thing.  What He did seemed weak, but in fact, that act of love still powerfully rips through the earth, destroying evil wherever it is remembered and imitated.

I suppose Jesus, with all power at His command, could have refused to go to the Cross.  But He used His power to endure the assignment given by His Father, knowing it would ultimately defeat evil forever.  At the time of His arrest, as Peter whipped out his sword to resist,

 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”  –  (John 18:11 (NIV84))

When Pilate was looking for an excuse to release Him,

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”  –  (John 18:36 (NIV84))

In this world, people try to overcome evil with increasingly powerful acts of violence.  We brag about “shock and awe.”  We post signs saying, “This property protected by Smith and Wesson.”  Of course, the bad guys are using the same tactics.  Violence proliferates.  But Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, and He knows those ways don’t work.  Because He had unlimited power, He chose unlimited acts of humble, powerful love.

His way works.  His way wins.

 

Ready for the Test

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Maybe you wouldn’t have participated, but Jesus said things that got Him killed.  They did not go down easy.  And maybe you still struggle with some of what He said.  Jesus’ teachings shake us up.  They challenge our normal way of thinking.  Before we can accept them, we have to know: Are they true?  Are they good?  Lot’s of people give out advice.  How can you decide between them?   With Jesus, there is an easy way because He said His words came directly from God.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  (John 14:10)

If what He said didn’t really come from God, then there’s no point in paying attention to them.  If He lied about that, He wasn’t speaking the truth.  But how can you know?  Here’s the test: You can ask God directly to show you whether or not Jesus spoke His truth.  Simply ask Him.  If you really want to know, God is fully capable of showing you what you need to know.  The kicker is whether you really want to know!

So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.  If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  (John 7:16-17)

The way to test the authenticity of Jesus’ teachings is to ask God to show you.  But first, carefully assess your own motivations.  Do you sincerely desire to do what God wants?  Is it possible that you would prefer to argue, and prove your own ideas to be superior?  Or, perhaps you are afraid?  The only one who can answer these questions is you.  Which makes it tricky because we like to deceive ourselves.  As strange as it seems, it is possible for us to try to fool ourselves!  Astonishing, really…   But with the questions about wanting to do God’s will, it is important for us to be brutally frank.

When we stand in the place of really wanting to conform to God’s design and intention, we are completely humble and surrendered.  We let go, put down our own pride and ideas, standing defenseless before Him.  And it is there, Jesus said, in that condition, we will know if what He spoke was from God.

You ready?