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The Power of Humility
(At Christmas)
My favorite Christmas text puts humility at the heart of Christmas. So this Christmas I am marveling at Jesus' humility and wanting more of it myself. I'll quote the text in a moment.
Jesus wasn't humble for the same reasons we are (or should be). So how can looking at Jesus' Christmas humility help us?
Our humility, if there is any at all, is based on our finiteness, our fallibility, and our sinfulness. But the eternal Son of God was not finite. He was not fallible. And he was not sinful. So, unlike our humility, Jesus' humility originated some other way.
Here's my favorite Christmas text.
Look for Jesus' humility.
Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)
What defines Jesus' humility is the fact that it is mainly a conscious act of putting himself in a lowly, servant role for the good to others. His humility is defined by phrases like
- "he emptied himself [of his divine rights to be free from abuse and suffering]"
- "he took the form of a servant"
- "he became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross"
So Jesus' humility was not a heart disposition of being finite or fallible or sinful. It was a heart of infinite perfection and infallible truthfulness and freedom from all sin, which for that very reason did not need to be served. He was free and full to overflow in serving.
Another Christmas text that says this would be Mark 10:45: "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Jesus' humility was not a sense of defect in himself, but a sense of fullness in himself put at the disposal of others for their good. It was a voluntary lowering of himself to make the height of his glory available for sinners to enjoy.
Jesus makes the connection between his Christmas lowliness and the good news for us:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
His lowliness makes our relief from burdens possible. If he were not lowly, he would not have been "obedient unto death, even death on a cross." And if he had not been obedient to die for us, we would be crushed under the weight of our sins. He lowers himself to take our condemnation (Romans 8:3).
Now we have more reason to be humble than before. We are finite, fallible, sinful, and therefore have no ground for boasting at all.
But now we see other humbling things: Our salvation is not owing to our work, but his grace. So boasting is excluded (Ephesians 2:8-9). And the way he accomplished that gracious salvation was through voluntary, conscious self-lowering in servant-like obedience to the point of death.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6-7).
It is impossible to fathom the transformation Jesus endured to leave the glorious perfection of heaven, for a manger.
Maybe the most important lesson of that first Christmas comes from the utter humility of the circumstances. There was no room at the inn for the King of Kings - but he knew that ahead of time. The shepherds lauded his birth and Herod wanted his death. Mary and Joseph were betrothed, not married but we needed to understand who his "Father" truly was. Jesus chose the humble circumstances of his birth, therefore we can know he had a perfect reason. Maybe the reason is found in the passage above, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
The word humility, or a form of it occurs 64 times in Scripture. It is often used as a condition of God's blessing or power:
- Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10).
- The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor (Proverbs 15:33).
- He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way (Psalm 25:9).
- Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom (James 3:13).
As you travel this week, in what ways can you seek to "consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)?"
If we want to restore Christmas to our culture, it will require personal sacrifice from God's children.
We will need to give up seats on the airplane or places in line. We will need to show grace, even when grace is not given.
We will need to humble ourselves and follow the example set by the baby in the manger, the shepherds in the field, and Mary and Joseph as they agreed to God's plan.
We need to humble ourselves as the wise men did, bowing before the young child and presenting him with gifts "fit for a king."
This Christmas, as you celebrate with your family, look for ways to set a Christ-like example to your children - and expect them to treat others with Christ-like humility.
Every aspect of the first Christmas suggests that Christmas is a time to humble ourselves - and restore Christmas to the holiday it was intended to be.
He who stays not in his littleness, loses his greatness. St. Francis de Sales
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