10th Sunday after Pentecost 14 August 2022 Humility
The pharisee was too
much pleased with himself for his prayer to be effective. And the publican was
successful in his prayer because he was displeased with himself, and knew that
he needed God’s help.
It is only by God's grace that we can get anything right. He prompts us to make the right choices, and then gives us the will to put those decisions into practice.
We must never for a moment boast of our achievements, even to ourselves, as though we are somehow cleverer or better than others.
We must be humble all the way through – before, during and after. And thank God all the way.
Everything comes back to our relationship with God. Religion is not just a corner of our lives, but has to be central if we are to get the right understanding of things.
Salvation happens when we come into full alignment with God's plans for us. He calls everyone to eternal life, and this call begins with a direct personal interaction with Him, being fully attentive to Him, not just seeking our own advantage, but putting Him first genuinely.
Today there is a lot of emphasis on self-esteem. People are encouraged to discover their true selves and blossom to full potential.
This can be a good thing as long as it is not overdone or misdirected – which it will be if God is excluded from the picture.
No one should be seen as useless or hopeless. We all have something to offer, and so we encourage each other. However, we do not want to overdo this to the point that we think we can do it without God.
Without Him as anchor and guide human pride can run anywhere. See the trouble we have right now with certain tyrants who want to invade their neighbours. They have plenty of confidence, but it is misdirected.
True humility is happy to work with others, having a common objective which stems from God Himself.
Whether we liken ourselves to a human body with all its parts, or an orchestra with all its different instruments, there is a great need for unity and communal collaboration in doing God's work..
There is no place for envy. If others can do something better than I then I am glad about that. Thus today’s epistle 1 Cor 12,2-11 where the Holy Spirit brings out what is best from all of us.
We must not be envious of particular gifts, particularly the ones which attract attention.
On the other hand, if there are worse sinners than we are, we do not take pleasure in that, but wish them to come to true holiness.
We cannot know the state of others’ souls, in any case. It is enough if we seek increase in our own holiness and wish the same for others.
Humility means we may never be recognized for the sacrifices we make, for our attention to duty, for having anything to offer to the world.
We may be dismissed as old-fashioned, out of touch, still clinging to old ways while the world has moved on.
All this and more we will be told, but this is what to expect as disciples of Christ.
He Himself was rejected because He would not dance to the world’s tune.
He had something much better to give but it was too good for coarse minds to grasp. So as usually happens, violence was called upon, and He was crucified.
We are prepared to endure ridicule and worse for the sake of the Kingdom. We know that we will be exalted if we are first humbled for the sake of Christ.
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