**Welcome to Buoy, a Life in Deeper Water podcast.**

Episode 36. I Seek Humility through the Grace of Jesus (take the lowest place at life’s table)

(click here to listen now)

Hello human.

It seems impossible to go deep into humility, that even to seek a deeper understanding is fueled by another flavor of pride, but I have to do this. Because a humble spirit, is to me, the “first light” of every morning.

So this is Part 1 of 2 episodes on humility.

This episode (36): the face of humility, how Jesus embodied it in His earthly life, and how we seek it

And next episode (37): God’s promise to the humble.

It is reported that most of Apostle Paul’s writings were written over a span of 15 years. Paul is generally considered to have authored 13 of the New Testament books. In AD 60, he finally arrived in Rome and was imprisoned later that year. For the next two years, Paul would live under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30-31). He continued to minister to those who visited and encourage local churches via letters he wrote from prison. It is said that of the four Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon), Paul likely wrote Philippians last, near the end of his Roman imprisonment in AD 61 or 62.

The Face of Humility

So I have turned to imprisoned Paul. Who always turns toward Jesus for truth.

Philippians 2:3-11

Imitating Christ’s Humility

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

How is humility defined in the divine context of his earthly life, according to the apostle Paul and those who lived with Jesus?

In verse three, Paul sets this up by saying do nothing out of:

selfishness

a desire to put one’s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit

empty-conceit

vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride; empty glorying, i.e. self-conceit

He encourages,

In humility

a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness, a lowliness of mind

value others as more important

to have or hold over one, to stand out, rise above, be superior in rank, authority

That your focus is on the interest of others.

Then, starting in verse 6, what Jesus did not do: He did not use His divine nature to His own advantage (but rather for the glory of God)

In verse 7, what Jesus did:

He made himself nothing
He became a servant
He humbled himself by being obedient to death

Paul is reminding us that in the kingdom of God, there is no status or value based on wealth or worldly prominence or pursuits. The kingdom is based on the attributes of the King.

Lowliness. Servanthood. Obedience.

How Pride Shows Up in My Life

The antithesis of that is evident in how my human nature, my earthly life falls into the pit of pride: how do I make myself something more, how do I demonstrate authority over others and have expectations that they serve me, how do I disobey God? How do I make my relationships about me and not His glory? How do I turn my focus toward self, and away from God?

in my career, it was being esteemed by colleagues, Board members, the talent in an organization – fueled by seeking approval for those I deemed more powerful,
in my relationships, that I will be beloved, but what I really want is for Jesus to be beloved
using my talent, experience or wisdom to gain power over someone, others
using my spiritual gifts for my personal advantage, my glory, not God’s
judging other people who are judging others (I know, that takes a little thought, but I do it)
basing my relationship with Jesus on a quid pro quo mentality – that if I serve, I will be served – that an expectation has been thrown down, like a gauntlet, and the game is on
taking “pride” in my day, in other words, caring about how it goes out of self-interest
feeling sorry for myself, feeling personally neglected, divinely neglected, forgotten
feeling like I didn’t deserve the way someone treated me, so I took offense
being a little indignant about not getting my “just” desserts– not feeling fed, not remembering that Jesus’ lived an earthly live of physical depravity in the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee, and on Jerusalem’s streets
in my writing, the temptation to rewrite the Bible, to cast the human shadow of interpretation, to give in to my love of words, to exploit scriptural meaning for the sake of a creative insight; that is why I am so deliberate in referring to God’s Word as often as possible. Scripture embraces His glory which dissipates my pride
And applying that to life more broadly, to exploit God’s perfect love for the sake of earthly latitude…

I have an entire mental archive of ways I take the focus off His nature and claim earthly power props in my life. Does this help you think about how pride robs your humility? What I want most to share with you is that our heart’s intent defines our prideful spirit, and it goes beyond boasting in the traditional sense. It is about defining boasting as taking our focus off God, and on to our earthly position in this life. So it is up to each of us to ask these questions.

And my pride is rooted in self-deception. That in thinking I know the way, I actually lose my way thinking my own nature will get me to where I am going. And that increases the distance between me and God.

C.S. Lewis says many things about pride and humility, but he brings it to an enduring simmer in this sentence:

“As long as you are proud, you cannot know God.”

Humiliated Life, Humble Spirit—Jesus

The entire earthly life of Jesus was one of little means, beginning with a wooden embrace and the smell of animals he shared his birth cave with. Lived under the scrutinizing eyes of those who watched, who followed, who ridiculed, all of them. He walked the path of earthly humiliation, degradation, and condescension. He had short-lived earthly popularity based on what people could see, rally around, with no loyalty to His divine nature. He was exploited, sought out for their own advantage. The believers were in the minority. He held the weight of humanity on that cross. Exposed. A public spectacle.

Jesus tells the Pharisees in,

John 10:17-18

17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

By His will, he lays it all down. And He tells his disciples, he tells us, a parable for how to follow in His footsteps.

Luke 14:7-14

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus tells us where we should always start to be humble: Take the lowest place at life’s table.

Humility is a heart position before our Lord. Humility gives up pride because Jesus already took care of everything. Yet humility is the absence of self-conceit, not self-worth.

It is not self-depreciating or mocking. Our self-worth rests in His nature, His glory.

Humility cannot be impersonated. False humility is always trending but impossible to do. Humility is not something you gain by being a certain way. We can only describe someone as being humble, if we leave it to God and His attributes to define what that is.

Humility comes from the blood of Jesus.

Litany of Humility

I recently came across a Litany about humility. A litany is a series of petitions that, within a Christian context, is recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the church body. But I think of it as between me and you. I want to share it because it captures how pride in self consumes our desires and engages our fears in its blaze. It is authored by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta, Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914). Thank you Cardinal.

This litany asks Jesus to deliver us from desires that replace what He has already become for us.

This litany asks Jesus to deliver us from fears that He has already suffered for us.

This litany asks Jesus to grant us the grace that He has already delivered to us.

It summons the grace of Jesus to fill our hearts with a sovereign desire to give all that we want for ourselves to others.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,

Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, (false statements to damage reputation)

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,