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Weekly Message | August 22nd, 2010
Passage: Luke 13:31-14:14
Key Verse(s): 14:11
Welcome all students! From tomorrow the fall semester starts at UT. To many others next week is no different from other weeks. In any case, the title of today’s message is about the humility of Jesus Christ. What is humility? Many people regard humility as a virtue of the weak. Is humility an act of being nice and kind in fear of humiliation and terror of others? Usually, humility is not associated with active qualities such as resolve, determination, commitment, strength, and passion. Instead, humility is perceived in the context of passive concepts such as denial, constraint, low positions, sufferings, endurance, and humiliation. Is humility an offshoot of humiliation?
According to 14:11, humility is a virtue that God values. God exalts and honors humble people. Humility is what makes people rise and fall. The biblical message is clear: “God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” (1Pe 5:5) In his book “Good to Great” Jim Collins presented humility as the most essential aspect of great leaders. Why it is so? What is humility? What do we see in the humility of Jesus Christ? In this passage we see Jesus’ resolve and commitment to his goal, his courage in doing good, and his attitude and association toward the little ones and those in need.
First, “In any case I must keep going today and tomorrow…”( 31- 35)
The first point is this: Jesus’ humility is his resolve and commitment in hope. Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” This is not friendly advice. It is not from those who care about Jesus’ safety. These Pharisees hated Jesus. They wanted to get rid of Jesus in the name of King Herod.
Look at verse 32: “He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow, and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem.’” Jesus was not afraid of calling King Herod what he was. He was a fox—sly, cunning, manipulative, and destructive. Jesus was not intimidated by Herod. Jesus was not afraid of the death threat of King Herod. He then told about his commitment to his work. That day and the next Jesus would drive out demons and heal people.
Here is an important test of humility. Just tell what you do—not in the distant future like 5, 10, and 20 years from now. Rather, speak about what you do today and tomorrow. Too often we work for goals in terms of changing human conditions: earning degrees, marriage, buying cars, and financial goals. After achieving such tangible goals we wonder what else we need to do. Here, the goal that Jesus is referring to is his lifelong goal. What is Jesus’ goal? His goal is to live and die as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29) His goal of life is not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. (Mk 10:45) For this goal he lived in the present (“today and tomorrow”) driving out demons and healing the sick and for the immediate future (the day after that)─his death on the cross. So he was not afraid.
Look at verses 34 and 35: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Here, Jesus turned his attention away from these Pharisees. He lifted up his eyes and looked toward the city of Jerusalem. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…” This is Jesus’ cry over the city that would reject him. Jesus loved the city. Jesus loved his people. Jesus longed to gather God’s children together. He was just like a mother hen toward her little chicks. What do little chicks do? They are noisy. They are clueless. They have no idea what threats and dangers are ahead of them. They walk around and run after things they do not know. Rats take them away. A hen gathers these little chicks under her wing to protect them. In the same way, Jesus did his best to protect the people of Israel and bless them with his teaching and actions. But people rejected him and his teachings.
Do you know what the most awesome aspect of human relationships is? It is not about love or hate. In Romans 1:24, 26 we read one of the most terrifying truths in the Bible. “Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires…Because of this, God gave them over to their shameful lusts.” What does this mean? God gives them up so that people are left alone to do whatever they like to do. Tears are for those we love. We cry over those we are committed to in love. We are saddened by their stubborn refusal to the truth. We agonize as they choose the wrong path. But if love is no longer there, we no longer weep. When we give up, we leave others alone. We let them do what they like to do. Tears flow until that moment. Tears stop after that moment. When we give them over, then we give up. The labor of love is no longer there. This is an awesome situation about human relationships.
Jesus did not leave the people alone. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because those in Jerusalem rejected him. Yet he was committed to the city. Jesus wept for the Holy City of Israel. Then, Jesus pronounced his judgment on the city as well, a desolate house! In AD 70, Jerusalem was totally destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Jerusalem were either murdered or taken as captives. The temple was burned and destroyed. In humility Jesus wept for the people.
What do Jesus’ tears say about him? This is about Jesus’ commitment in love to the people. Jesus loved the people that rejected him. So he went into Jerusalem. He was arrested, rejected, punished, and crucified there. There he was raised from the dead. Of course, Jesus faced the prospect of the future desolate city. However, Jesus was full of hope. He trusted that the remnants would return. He looked forward to the day when the people of Israel would turn to him as well. How will they turn to him? They will return to Jesus saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” They will welcome Jesus as their Savior. This is Jesus’ hope. Because of this hope Jesus kept going. Because of this hope he was committed to his goal. In humility Jesus trusted in God and thus he believed that the kingdom of Jesus would surely prevail. In brief, Jesus’ humility is his commitment to God in hope.
Second, Jesus healed a man with dropsy on the Sabbath. (1-6)
This is about Jesus’ courage in doing good. One day Jesus was in a prominent Pharisee’s house. The host offered a seat to Jesus near a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus was not welcomed. Instead, he was being carefully watched. (1) In fact, the host had set a trap and put Jesus among the lowest there. His seating arrangement was in the company of a man suffering from dropsy. Dropsy is an old medical term for excessive accumulation of watery fluid in any tissue or space of the body. It is a symptom of several serious disorders such as heart, kidney, or liver disease.
Healing on the Sabbath was not acceptable. It became illegal in Jewish society for hundreds of years. Why? the Sabbath is about rest. Rest is about doing no work. Then, why did Jesus pick up on this controversy? Jesus came here to change the world. Doing good requires courage and strength. Jesus displayed his courage in doing good. To Jesus the man suffering from dropsy was just like his own son. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. Why did Jesus send him away? Jesus wanted to spare him from the controversy.
Here we see the source of courage. By nature too often we are afraid. Fear controls us in such great force. We would like to do good but we are terrified. Greater power has to motivate us. It is perfect love that drives out fear. This perfect love provides courage in doing good. In love we overcome fear. In love we dare to do something different. Jesus openly asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Jesus asked whether it was allowed by their law to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus again asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” People are doing all they can to save their children or animals even on the Sabbath. Then, what was so wrong about healing people on the Sabbath? This is Jesus’ point. In humility Jesus kept making this point. In humility Jesus kept doing good. In humility Jesus displayed his courage.
Third, Jesus’ teaching on the practices of humility. (14:7-14)
Here, humility is about humanity in action. It is about the right attitude and capacity to associate with the little ones. Then Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So Jesus told them a story. In formal social occasions, people have their own seats reserved. Usually, it is better to wait until the host directs them where to seat. However, a person may presumptuously occupy a prominent seat. Then later, the host may ask him to move down and the person then feels humiliated. Therefore, it is better to take the lowest seat from the beginning. In that way, the person may not be humiliated, but be exalted. But wait a minute. This is such a matter of common sense! Only an ignorant fool does not know that! Then, what is the point of Jesus’ teaching? Does he give mere small talk? Does he make a big deal about this social grace? This is an illustration for a much bigger truth.
Jesus said, ““For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This is it! Here, Jesus defines humility as the critical quality that causes people either to rise or fall. God values humility. God honors those with humility. On the other hand, God rejects the proud. This is a timeless truth.
King Solomon was humble until he was probably about 50 years old. His father was King David. His mother was Bathsheba, who was once the wife of the general that David killed. During his early youth Solomon devoted himself to study and learning. He became a man of great knowledge. When he became a king, he was humble. He neither sought wealth now power but the wisdom to govern the people. He successfully built the great temple. He made the nation prosper and become wealthy. Then, he became proud. He took many wives. He enjoyed his pleasure-seeking life. God rejected him. God raised up many enemies against him. In his later years he repented and wrote the books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. He wrote these books with much regret over his life failures. How did he fail? He stopped being humble. He rejected the path of humility and chose the path of pride and arrogance. On the other hand, humble people have staying power. Joseph suffered a great deal in Egypt as a slave. Yet, in times of suffering he learned deep faith in God. Later, he became the ruler of the entire Egyptian empire. In times of prosperity he offered up his privileges to honor God and serve the needy. He stayed humble. In that way his life was blessed in every way. This is true with Abraham, Moses, and Daniel.
Our Lord Jesus is the humble God who emptied himself to live among us. Jesus was born among the poorest of the poor. Jesus made himself available for the needy. Jesus humbled himself to the point of death. Then God exalted Jesus to the highest place in heaven, and gave him the name at which all will bow, “in heaven and on earth and under the earth...” All people will bow down and worship this humble Savior as the Lord of lords and King of kings. But Jesus did not take the highest prominent places in this world. He took the form of a servant.
Humility is, again, humanity in action which is free to associate with little ones. Jesus said, “Do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors…But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (12-14) Does this mean that we must eliminate our friends, family members, and important people in all social gatherings? Jesus himself did not do that! Jesus was not obsessed with helping only needy people. Rather, on many occasions Jesus spent time with his friends. The most important dinner of all─his Last Supper─was held exclusively with his top Twelve disciples.
Then what is Jesus’ point? Our Lord Jesus was happy to associate with anyone─rich and poor, strong and weak. Once we were all little ones. Jesus called us when we were weak and powerless in our sins. Jesus invited us to his heavenly banquet. Jesus helps us to live in the presence of Almighty God. We are given prominent positions before God as God’s glorious children. Now, Jesus wants us to invite little ones and associate with them. The full reward is in his kingdom. Jesus wants us to invite those who would never be able to pay us back for what we do for them. They are too poor, too weak, and too helpless to do anything for us in return for our good deeds. The reward for such labor of love is not in this world. It is in the kingdom of God. Our God declares to us, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40)
This is the basis of all the great services performed in the name of Christ. All the charitable organizations—Red Cross, Sisters of Mercy, Samaritan’s Purse, Doctors without Borders, Compassion, and numerous churches throughout the world practice this truth. They help those who cannot help themselves. In this passage the humility of Jesus Christ is about his humanity. Humility is resolve and commitment in hope. In humility we commit to our life long goal of service. Humility is about what each of us keeps doing regardless of what others do or do not do. God values the ministry of God’s word and prayer. I will keep doing this first. Our fellowship leaders will join in this as well. Humility is humanity in action. When we grow up, we put childish ways behind us. Then, what happens? We become like real people. We become people with humanity. This humanity is about having humility with commitment, courage, and compassion for Christ and his kingdom.
August 22, 2010; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
