Jesus Christ, the Word of God, chose to be humble. Oxford defines humility as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” The word comes from the Latin, humilis, “low,” which in turn comes from the Latin, humus, “ground.” You could say that a humble person is “down to earth.”
Isn’t this the essence of the incarnation, the Word made flesh, divinity putting on humanity?
In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul describes it this way.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus; Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness, he humbled himself” (Philippians 2:3-5, NIV).
But I can’t choose humility on my own. Humility must be created and developed inside of me, my heart must be recreated, by the Word.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1-4, NIV).
It is essential that I remember that without God, there is nothing! No change of heart, no humility. Nothing exists independently of God, for God is life. God creates a humble heart and without God there is no life and no change in character.
One of my favorite illustrations of this, one that moves me to tears and humbles me to the core, is found in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10.
Jesus entered Capernaum, where a Roman garrison was stationed, and a Roman centurion came to him asking for help saying, “Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
Jesus recognized this centurion as being in command, and even spoke to him that way. I like how the NIV translates Jesus’ words to the Centurion in the gospel of Matthew.
“Shall I come and heal him?” Perhaps saying, “You’re in command, you tell me what to do.”
We should not be surprised at Jesus’ attitude, toward this centurion. Afterall, this is the same Jesus who later said, in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls.” Even your Roman centurion souls.
The humility and self-sacrificing love of Jesus, for even Roman centurions, is beyond my comprehension. It would be a Roman centurion’s order and Roman soldiers who would beat him harshly, mock him severely, including with a crown of thorns, and finally crucify him, nailing him naked to a horrible cross.
In humility, I realize, I do not know what humility and self-denial is. I have no conception, except when I look to Jesus’ example, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and by God’s power follow Jesus’ example.
So, Jesus meekly asked this centurion, “Shall I come and heal him?”
Then something unexpected, even shocking happened.
The centurion himself showed humility. He replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go!’ And he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes, I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Perhaps with tears in his eyes and in a loud voice, according to Luke, Jesus says, “I have not found such great faith, even in Israel!”
Perhaps later Jesus had this centurion in mind, while hanging on the cross, praying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
But then it happened again, while Jesus hung on the cross. Another Roman centurion, perhaps the officer in charge of the crucifixion, stands in front of the cross of Jesus and states loudly, in front of all his fellow soldiers, the priests, and the mocking crowd, “Surely, this is the Son of God.”
As a frequent Sabbath School presenter, it is essential that I learn from Jesus daily. Humility and the study of the written word should go hand in hand.
As a student of the written word, I do not always get the message right. The power is not in my presentation, but in the power of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to make my imperfect presentations effective and meaningful to those who hear.
If our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the personification of the Word, is constantly showing us humility, should not his servants who are called by his name do the same?
Darrin Wright is an associate lead elder at the La Sierra University Church, associate director of the FoodPantry+, and he enjoys teaching at Destination Sabbath School.