The Need for a Little Humility

Scripture passage that caught my attention today: John 5:9-11 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”

Observation: It’s somewhat understandable why the religious leaders were upset with Jesus; Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath and told him to take up his mat and walk on the sabbath. Hence not only did Jesus do something that the religious leaders thought was inappropriate to do on the sabbath, but Jesus also told the man to do something that was considered inappropriate to do on the sabbath.

Application: I know we like to give the Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day a hard time. They appear closed minded, deceitful, self-serving, and the like. And in many ways they were all of those things. But they were also trying to follow what they understood to be the ways of God according to Moses. Jesus offered an alternative mode of operation and their mindsets weren’t ready for the shift. For them it simply didn’t compute.

These same kinds of challenges are before us in this age and, indeed, in every age. Trying to weigh out what is helpful/healthy verse that which is ultimately hurtful/unhealthy is a day-by-day and maybe even minute-by-minute undertaking.

It seems one of the biggest mistakes of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day was their insistence that they were right. I can’t fault them for trying to be faithful to the law, but there wasn’t much humility in their approach, nor openness to the possibility that there just might be another way.

That other way, of course, has been ushered in by Jesus. His way is still a bit baffling at times; it isn’t always completely clear whether we are actually following him or just claiming to follow him and, instead, following ourselves. That’s where a little humility is worth keeping close at hand.

Prayer: Lord, you are certainly the most amazing of ones. Help us to entrust ourselves to you and follow along as best we can. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today include: Nahum 1-3, John 5)