Humility

Living the Parables
-Part IX-

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”

Why Be Humble?
1. Our physical frailty
2. Our lack of achievement
3. Our lack of knowledge
4. Our lack of goodness

But more important than recongizing our limitations, is recognizing God's greatness!
True humility is not found in thinking lowly thoughts about yourself, but in thinking great thoughts about God!

#18 The Place of Honor
Luke 14:7-10

Background
A dinner party had U-shaped seating
The least important guests arrived first
The most important guests arrived last

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:

When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.

But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

#19 The Slaves Task
Luke 17:7-9

Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? But will he not say to him, ' Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?

So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.

5 Principles from this Parable
1. We aren’t doing God any favors
2. Rewards from God are given by grace
3. We must serve God even when we don’t feel like it
4. In terms of grace: Adoption & Freedom
5. In terms of response: Slavery & Service

#20 The 2 Prayers
Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

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.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Background
Pharisees were the most respected Jews
Tax Collectors were the most despised Jews
A similar prayer to the Pharisee’s was used at that time

Truths to Consider
The 2 men were truthful
The 2 men had opposite attitudes
No one should be confident in their own righteousness
No one should look down on others
We are saved by faith in God’s mercy & grace


The Growth of Paul's Humility
AD49 'An Apostle' (Galatians 1:1)
AD55 'Least of apostles' (1 Cor. 15:9)
AD60 'Least of God's people' (Ephesians 3:8)
AD64 'Chief of sinners' (1 Tim. 1:15)