Tuesday, 4/21/2015

“Humility is, in a sense, admitting how egotistical you are.” ~ Kris Jami

2 SAMUEL 1-3

David shows humility...

11Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

2So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. 4Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul, 5he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. 6May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. 7Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

LUKE 18:1-17

Jesus exposes the arrogance of sin...

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

JOURNAL

Humility: The quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people.  

It is a requirement for salvation...it is the first step in coming to terms with sin.  Jesus gives this parable to illustrate that good deeds and right living are not the way...only humility and recognition of our own sin.  The reality is that all of us are fully capable of the worst evil...our base nature is to acquire and selfishly get everything that we want.  This means that if push comes to shove...we will push and shove to get the love, recognition, peace, joy, honor that we feel we deserve.

The life of Christ exposes this despicable fatal disease for all that it is...evil.  One of the worst sins is to to be soo consumed with self and our own justification that we manipulate the Bible and God and modify our behavior in order to project righteousness.   This is taking and using God and in essence blaspheming his name.

I am overcome this morning by the sin in my heart.  I realize that the greatest threat is not external...it is internal...it is the evil and selfishness in my own heart.   

6Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^d While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.(Genesis 4:6-8)