DATE: 1st November, 2020
THEME: SERVING IN HUMILITY
SCRIPTURE READING
Joshua 3:1-17
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:1-12
Psalter: Psalm 43
INTRODUCTION
Humility is a virtue which is often misunderstood. It’s often confused with SUBSERVIENCE or lack of ASSERTIVENESS. So that in much common understanding, the humble person is the person who acts like a ‘door mat’ and lets other people trample all over them, lets them into the house as it were and allows them to trample all over them without saying a word in response. And, of course, we might get this idea from the image of Jesus himself, dying on the cross. People trampled all over him, beat him up and put him to death. The scripture says he was like a lamb that was led to the slaughter. And, like such a lamb, he was silent.
Humility is a grateful and spontaneous awareness that life is a gift; HUMBLE PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. Humility and the desire for humility of mind separate many of the religious goers from the true Christians.
It is humility that allows us to acknowledge that God has a claim on our lives as our Creator. It is humility that says, “I am a sinner, and I need to be saved”. It is humility that is the beginning of wisdom and only those who are humble see and understand the truths of the Kingdom. No one, on the other hand, who is proud, will ever gain anything from God. Pride says, “I can do it better than God”. Pride prevents us from following God’s plan, which leads to the sin of rebellion.
BACKGROUND
In today’s gospel reading Jesus is addressing both the multitudes and His disciples. Today we would say that He was addressing both Church members and the Church leadership about humility. The religious leaders of Jesus’ days can be compared to the religious leaders of today. Just like the Pharisees of old, some of our leaders want to be addressed with special titles and treated as though they were a step closer to God than everyone else. Humility is no longer a part of their lifestyle. Jesus is also telling the ordinary Church member portrayed by the multitude to obey and do whatever the Church leadership says but not to copy them for the simple reason that they do not practice what they preach.
BODY
- DON’T PREACH WHAT YOU WILL NOT PRACTICE
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do . . .” (Matt 23 vv. 2-3). A “SEAT”, in the sense that Jesus here speaks of it, is a position of authority that a teacher in Israel would occupy. Their role was to be respected. When they taught faithfully from God’s law, Jesus tells His followers to “OBSERVE” and “DO” as they say.
Jesus didn’t say, “The scribes and Pharisees are a bunch of hypocrites; therefore, ignore everything they tell you. Don’t even bother to do what they say!” That would not be in keeping with God’s command to us to “RESPECT” and “HONOR” spiritual authority.
The scribes and the Pharisees developed 613 additional precepts around the law, and sought to bring the people under the direction of these additional man-made precepts. They excused themselves from being under such a burden. In short, they preached that others should do what they themselves wouldn’t do.
- DON’T PUT YOUR PIETY ON PARADE.
“But all their works they do to be seen by men . . .” (Matt 23 v. 5). The religious observances they followed, and the rituals they observed, the alms they performed—it wasn’t done out of a heart of reverent service to God. Rather, it was all done to catch the eyes of other people.
Jesus gives evidence of this that anyone in the crowds could see—even with the scribes and Pharisees standing in front of them. He says that they made their “PHYLACTERIES BROAD“.
“PHYLACTERIES” were little boxes, tied to leather straps that they bound to their arms and hands, or onto their foreheads. Into these boxes, they would place strips onto which were copied portions of Scripture, or written prayers. In doing this, they were seeking to apply literally what it says in Deuteronomy 6:6-9. Ordinarily, Jewish men would wear these ‘phylacteries’ during times of public worship. But when worship-time was over, the scribes and Pharisees continued to keep theirs on—walking around with them in public display. And they would even make them “BROAD” (that is, large and easy to see), in order to show that they were loaded-up with a lot of passages of Scripture and a lot of prayers.
Doing works of religious devotion to be seen by men sometimes fool men; but it never ‘fools’ God. Making sure we don’t put our piety on parade is yet another way we can avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy in our walk with Christ.
- DON’T PROFESS RELIGION FOR THE SOCIAL BENEFITS.
Jesus warned that the scribes and Pharisees “love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi'” (Matt 23 vv. 6-7). People greeted them by calling them “Rabbi”, which meant “HONOURED TEACHER”.
In other words, there were social benefits to their sacred role. Their role in society was that of teaching people the law of Moses; but it had the additional “plus” of earning them high regard from the people, and preferential treatment in social gatherings.
And perhaps you can see the hypocritical “pitfall” that eventually led to! It wouldn’t be very long before they would be “adjusting” the performance of their sacred role so as to maximize and protect the social benefits it gained for them. - DON’T LET PROFESSIONALISM TAKE GOD’S PLACE.
By “professionalism”, I don’t mean “doing things efficiently and effectively”. We certainly should be doing that. Rather, what I mean is an attitude that esteems people for the professional and ecclesiastical titles they possess rather than for the Christ-like character they display.
Rather, I believe that our Lord is forbidding us from “professionalism”; that is, from esteeming people in the church simply because of the titles men have given them, and not with regard to Christ.
When we esteem someone as a “teacher” simply on the basis of his or her title—without regard to whether or not he walks in faithful accord with the truth, and truly believes in Christ, we’re esteeming that person’s title over Christ!
Titles are not wrong in their contexts; particularly in other areas of life. BUT IN THE CHURCH, THE LOVE OF “TITLES” IS A SNARE. It cultivates an unhealthy fear of man, and obscures our view of the esteem we owe first to our Savior. It causes people to hypocritically seek “form” over “substance” in the Christian life. - DON’T CONFUSE RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCE WITH GENUINE GREATNESS.
Jesus, speaking to His followers, said, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt 23v. 11). The scribes and Pharisees were not concerned about serving anyone. Though their position in society was given to them as a ministry of service, they used it to make themselves “great” in the eyes of the people. They were seeking to be thought “superior” through their public displays of religious devotion. By their actions, they showed that what they really wanted was that the people of God serve them.
The path of “greatness” in our Lord’s kingdom is HUMBLE SERVICE IN HIS NAME. If we would be truly “great”, we would have to take a course of action that is quite a bit different from that of the scribes and Pharisees.
- THE PRACTICE OF HUMILITY
We must “practice humility”. It doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It is a virtue which, if you think you have it, you probably don’t. It is said that D. L. Moody used to pray, “Lord, make me humble, but don’t let me know it.”
C. S. Lewis has some helpful words at this point: “There is one vice of which no man in the world is free, which everyone in the world hate when he sees it in someone else…If anyone would like to acquire humility I can tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud… (Cited by Brian Bill, “Developing an Others Orientation”).
Humility comes from a proper understanding of the grace of God. All that we have come from God. Everything is a gift. Nothing is earned.
CONCLUSION
PRECIOUS ONE! Humility is to depend on God and results in trusting and obeying Him. To depend on self, however, makes it impossible for us to learn or to receive from God and serve HIM. Humility obeys God. Enjoy the service. Stay BLESSED.
PREPARED BY
VERY REV DR. SAMUEL YAW DUA DODD
CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH
ADABRAKA-ACCRA
