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SERMON for SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
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HUMILITY
Text: Philippians 2: 1-13; Matthew 20: 1-16
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“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” Philippians 2: 3-4
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Humility. When I think about this virtue, the country and western song, “It’s Hard to Be Humble” comes to mind:
“Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
When you're perfect in every way
I can't wait to look in the mirror
Cause I get better looking each day
To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh Lord It's hard to be humble,
But I'm doing the best that I can.”
"It's Hard to be Humble" is by country music singer and songwriter Mac Davis from his LP, “Hard To Be Humble.” This song became an international hit in the spring of 1980. As an aside, Mac Davis is still living and is 78 years old.
The man from whom I became familiar with this song is still living, too, at the age of 90: my “Uncle” Charles, which is what I call him, though technically he is my dad’s first cousin, yet more like my father’s brother because they grew up together in the same home for a while, and there is only a one-year age difference between them. I recall how Uncle Charles would sing the song “It’s Hard to Be Humble” a capella, and extemporaneously, when moved by the Spirit or when asked to sing it. On the one hand, I doubt that the word “humble” would leap to the minds of most people if you asked them to describe Charles whose exuberant, colorful, and larger-than-life personality is quite evident – a way of being that serves him very well in life. From early in his professional life, Charles became a very successful business owner and significant leader in the community and his church. At the age of 90, he continues to be a devoted family man and faithful elder in the Presbyterian congregation of which he is a charter member. Despite his age and serious health challenges over the years, Charles is still quite active in the community and his church.
As for faith, serving the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church has been a strong and consistent refrain throughout Charles’ life. In my own life, Charles and his late wife Patsy actively encouraged me in my faith journey when I became a Presbyterian minister. In addition to their prayerful support, they attended my ordination and gave me a complete set of scholarly biblical commentaries - that I still use – to this day. Charles also facilitated my serving as the supply pastor of his congregation for one summer; it was a great opportunity that was formative in the early years of my ministry. In terms of his relationship with the Lord, Charles is actually a very humble man.
Thus, today, in preparing the sermon for this Sunday, in thinking about this letter written to the church at Philippi by the Apostle Paul, a letter overflowing with inspirational words of joy - written to teach and encourage the Christians in that first century church, a letter written by a man unlikely to be described as humble before he came to know the Risen Lord in that dramatic Damascus Road conversion experience, a letter that includes the words of what is believed to be one of the first Christian hymns (in verses 6 through 11), a song that speaks about the humility of the Lord Jesus and our humility before the Lord, well - I could not help but think about my Uncle Charles singing that Mac Davis country song. If the tune of this early Christian hymn in the book of Philippians were known, I can well imagine Charles adding it to his repertoire.
Let me add, as I acknowledge the influence of Charles in my faith formation and his joyful witness, that I must also give credit to his mother, my great Aunt Jody, who was the sister of my grandmother Diddy. Jody was a very faithful Christian woman who persevered through significant adversity and hardship as the sole provider for her family in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Jody and Diddy were both strong and faithful Christian women and sisters, intentional about creating loving Christian homes for their children. They established spiritual legacies that are greatly appreciated by their descendants.
In most Bible translations, in the second chapter of Philippians, verses 6-11 are indented – like the words of a song or poem - to signify that they are not part of the ordinary prose of the letter. There is debate among scholars about whether or not Paul actually wrote the lyrics of this hymn, but whether he did or didn’t is not really important. If Paul had not written them down in this letter, we would not know them or have them. Thanks be to God that Paul recorded these words. Let us not forget that Paul wrote these words while enduring imprisonment and facing execution for his Christian faith.
Despite where Paul is – in prison - and what he is undergoing – persecution for his faith, he experiences joy – the joy of the Lord – this gift of the Holy Spirit that blesses him and us with being drawn into the joyful presence of the Risen Lord. Paul asks the faithful to make his joy complete in this way - “Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (v. 2) Even while in prison, Paul knows firsthand that through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ breaks through jails and prisons, literally and metaphorically, including prisons of the mind, transcending the ordinary boundaries of time, space, and matter.
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (vv. 5-8)
On a clear night, when you are gazing heavenward toward the beautiful canopy of stars over your head, as you ponder the beauty and majesty of creation, pause to consider that the Lord of the universe – the Creator of it all – chose to become like us, to descend from above in order to live and dwell among us in human form in Christ Jesus. Grasping this truth is quite humbling.
The Lord God is perfect in every way, and God descends to us – to inhabit these vulnerable bodies which shall all go down to the dust someday: remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. God comes to us in Christ Jesus to ground us in spiritual reality, to shake out the distortions in our minds, to cleanse our hearts from dirt and sin, and to lift our spirits beyond discord and complacency, so that we may transcend our petty concerns and consider God’s eternal purposes. Despite our selfish ambitions and conceit, i.e., looking out for our own interests instead of the interests of others, the Lord God is still at work in us, never giving up on us, enabling us both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure, recreating us day by day in the image of Christ, transforming us by faith, hope, and love so that we might work together as the body of Christ while we yet live on this earth.
“Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father.” (vv. 9-11)
Some closing thoughts about humility. Humility does not mean that we minimize our God-given talents, skills, and virtues, nor does it mean that we are to deny our worth, needs, and convictions. Humility is not anything about having a critical spirit towards the self or others, nurturing feelings of inferiority and shame, or repressing one’s own beliefs and convictions. Being humble does not mean that become doormats and allow others to walk all over us.
God blesses us with hearts and souls, minds and bodies, to glorify God – first and foremost. When a person’s priority is exalting the self, first and foremost, instead of God, when people pursue goals and their own interests from a place of selfish ambition or conceit without regard for the interests and needs of others, these conditions of our sinful nature are what the Apostle Paul is calling us to confront and confess - our all-too-human ways, so that we can be changed by the power of God in us.
Let me end this sermon for today with Paul’s words to the Church:
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Make it so – Lord God, make it so – for the glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Text: Philippians 2: 1-13; Matthew 20: 1-16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” Philippians 2: 3-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Humility. When I think about this virtue, the country and western song, “It’s Hard to Be Humble” comes to mind:
“Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
When you're perfect in every way
I can't wait to look in the mirror
Cause I get better looking each day
To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh Lord It's hard to be humble,
But I'm doing the best that I can.”
"It's Hard to be Humble" is by country music singer and songwriter Mac Davis from his LP, “Hard To Be Humble.” This song became an international hit in the spring of 1980. As an aside, Mac Davis is still living and is 78 years old.
The man from whom I became familiar with this song is still living, too, at the age of 90: my “Uncle” Charles, which is what I call him, though technically he is my dad’s first cousin, yet more like my father’s brother because they grew up together in the same home for a while, and there is only a one-year age difference between them. I recall how Uncle Charles would sing the song “It’s Hard to Be Humble” a capella, and extemporaneously, when moved by the Spirit or when asked to sing it. On the one hand, I doubt that the word “humble” would leap to the minds of most people if you asked them to describe Charles whose exuberant, colorful, and larger-than-life personality is quite evident – a way of being that serves him very well in life. From early in his professional life, Charles became a very successful business owner and significant leader in the community and his church. At the age of 90, he continues to be a devoted family man and faithful elder in the Presbyterian congregation of which he is a charter member. Despite his age and serious health challenges over the years, Charles is still quite active in the community and his church.
As for faith, serving the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church has been a strong and consistent refrain throughout Charles’ life. In my own life, Charles and his late wife Patsy actively encouraged me in my faith journey when I became a Presbyterian minister. In addition to their prayerful support, they attended my ordination and gave me a complete set of scholarly biblical commentaries - that I still use – to this day. Charles also facilitated my serving as the supply pastor of his congregation for one summer; it was a great opportunity that was formative in the early years of my ministry. In terms of his relationship with the Lord, Charles is actually a very humble man.
Thus, today, in preparing the sermon for this Sunday, in thinking about this letter written to the church at Philippi by the Apostle Paul, a letter overflowing with inspirational words of joy - written to teach and encourage the Christians in that first century church, a letter written by a man unlikely to be described as humble before he came to know the Risen Lord in that dramatic Damascus Road conversion experience, a letter that includes the words of what is believed to be one of the first Christian hymns (in verses 6 through 11), a song that speaks about the humility of the Lord Jesus and our humility before the Lord, well - I could not help but think about my Uncle Charles singing that Mac Davis country song. If the tune of this early Christian hymn in the book of Philippians were known, I can well imagine Charles adding it to his repertoire.
Let me add, as I acknowledge the influence of Charles in my faith formation and his joyful witness, that I must also give credit to his mother, my great Aunt Jody, who was the sister of my grandmother Diddy. Jody was a very faithful Christian woman who persevered through significant adversity and hardship as the sole provider for her family in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Jody and Diddy were both strong and faithful Christian women and sisters, intentional about creating loving Christian homes for their children. They established spiritual legacies that are greatly appreciated by their descendants.
In most Bible translations, in the second chapter of Philippians, verses 6-11 are indented – like the words of a song or poem - to signify that they are not part of the ordinary prose of the letter. There is debate among scholars about whether or not Paul actually wrote the lyrics of this hymn, but whether he did or didn’t is not really important. If Paul had not written them down in this letter, we would not know them or have them. Thanks be to God that Paul recorded these words. Let us not forget that Paul wrote these words while enduring imprisonment and facing execution for his Christian faith.
Despite where Paul is – in prison - and what he is undergoing – persecution for his faith, he experiences joy – the joy of the Lord – this gift of the Holy Spirit that blesses him and us with being drawn into the joyful presence of the Risen Lord. Paul asks the faithful to make his joy complete in this way - “Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (v. 2) Even while in prison, Paul knows firsthand that through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ breaks through jails and prisons, literally and metaphorically, including prisons of the mind, transcending the ordinary boundaries of time, space, and matter.
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (vv. 5-8)
On a clear night, when you are gazing heavenward toward the beautiful canopy of stars over your head, as you ponder the beauty and majesty of creation, pause to consider that the Lord of the universe – the Creator of it all – chose to become like us, to descend from above in order to live and dwell among us in human form in Christ Jesus. Grasping this truth is quite humbling.
The Lord God is perfect in every way, and God descends to us – to inhabit these vulnerable bodies which shall all go down to the dust someday: remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. God comes to us in Christ Jesus to ground us in spiritual reality, to shake out the distortions in our minds, to cleanse our hearts from dirt and sin, and to lift our spirits beyond discord and complacency, so that we may transcend our petty concerns and consider God’s eternal purposes. Despite our selfish ambitions and conceit, i.e., looking out for our own interests instead of the interests of others, the Lord God is still at work in us, never giving up on us, enabling us both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure, recreating us day by day in the image of Christ, transforming us by faith, hope, and love so that we might work together as the body of Christ while we yet live on this earth.
“Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father.” (vv. 9-11)
Some closing thoughts about humility. Humility does not mean that we minimize our God-given talents, skills, and virtues, nor does it mean that we are to deny our worth, needs, and convictions. Humility is not anything about having a critical spirit towards the self or others, nurturing feelings of inferiority and shame, or repressing one’s own beliefs and convictions. Being humble does not mean that become doormats and allow others to walk all over us.
God blesses us with hearts and souls, minds and bodies, to glorify God – first and foremost. When a person’s priority is exalting the self, first and foremost, instead of God, when people pursue goals and their own interests from a place of selfish ambition or conceit without regard for the interests and needs of others, these conditions of our sinful nature are what the Apostle Paul is calling us to confront and confess - our all-too-human ways, so that we can be changed by the power of God in us.
Let me end this sermon for today with Paul’s words to the Church:
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Make it so – Lord God, make it so – for the glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.