Living in the Image of God M04S08
Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and through interactions with the disciples and others provide understanding of the meaning and value of humility in human relationship with God and interactions with others. Humility toward God leads to realizing that every person can accomplish God’s purpose in every situation, but only with God. In human interactions, humility means a recognition and respect that there is always another person greater or better than I in one or more considerations. God rewards those that recognize and respect others as potentially greater or better. Humility manifests as an invitation to positive human interactions, with a promise of care and diligence, promise of appreciation, and promise of obedience; conveyed to others through attitude and spoken or written words.
This bible study discusses Christ teaching to understand God’s expectation of every person regarding humility in human relationship with God and humility in human interactions. First, we discuss the value of humility toward God based on the Sermon on the Mount. The first two Beatitudes convey a message of humility toward God—that every person can accomplish God’s purpose in every situation, but only with God: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” [Matthew 5:3] and “Blessed are those who mourn” [Matthew 5:4] convey a message that God blesses those that seek him through repentance of sin and are committed to following his direction to accomplish his purpose in every situation.
Second, we discuss humility in human interactions based on Christ teaching and interactions with his disciples and others. He conveys a message through the interactions that humility toward others means recognizing and accepting that there is always another person greater or better than I in one or more considerations. We discuss his message of “Blessed are the meek” [Matthew 5:5], his teaching of childlike humility as the greatest virtue (Matthew 18:1–5), and his teaching that the humble will be exalted while those that exalt themselves will be humbled (Luke 14:7–11). We will understand that Christ message regarding humility is that God creates every person to be humble, expects and rewards humility, but punishes haughtiness.
Additionally, we will understand that humility manifests in human interactions as an invitation with promise—an invitation to positive human interactions with a promise of care and diligence, promise of appreciation, and promise of obedience—that a person conveys to others through his or her attitude and spoken or written words.
Humility in Human Relationship with God
Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount conveys a message that humility toward God means an unreserved commitment to God’s purpose and total dependence on God to accomplish his purpose. God has a purpose for every person to represent him in interactions with others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ teaches that every person can accomplish God’s purpose in every situation, but only with God: by always seeking God’s guidance to understand and accomplish his purpose.
Christ provides the message through the first two Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 5:3] and “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” [Matthew 5:4]. The two Beatitudes declare God’s promise of blessing for those that seek him through repentance of sin and are committed to following his direction to understand and complete his purpose for them in every situation.
Humility in Human Interactions
Humility in human interactions means recognizing and respecting that there is always another person greater or better than I in one or more considerations. This understanding is based on Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, explanation by Apostle Paul, Christ teaching of childlike humility as the greatest virtue, and his teaching that the humble will be exalted while those that exalt themselves will be humbled.
Potentially Greater or Better than I
Christ declares the value of humility in human interactions through the third Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” [Matthew 5:5]. Apostle Paul explains the message in his letter to Philippians [Philippians 2:3]: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Based on Christ message and Paul’s explanation, the essence of humility is to recognize and respect that there is always another person greater or better than I in one or more considerations. God blesses those that recognize and respect others as potentially greater or better.
Greatest Virtue
In an interaction with the disciples, Christ presented a child as the personification of humility. He declares that only those that relate to others with the humility of a child will be admitted into the kingdom of heaven: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 18:3].
Children personify humility because of the intrinsic characteristic of childhood of always expecting and accepting that other persons are greater or better in one or more considerations.
Humble Will Be Exalted
In another event, Jesus was guest for a meal at the home of a prominent Pharisee and used the occasion to teach about humility. He advised the other guests to always expect that another person greater or better could be sharing a situation with them: “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” [Luke 14:8]. He advised them to refrain from exalting themselves relative to others [Luke 14:9]: “If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.”
In contrast, those that humble themselves will be exalted by others [Luke 14:10]: “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 the other guests.” He concluded the teaching as follows: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” [Luke 14:11].
Manifestation of Humility
In human interactions, humility manifests as an invitation with promise: conveyed to others through attitude and spoken or written words. Humility in a person conveys an invitation to others to share positive human interactions: with a promise of care and diligence, promise of appreciation, and promise of obedience.
Promise of care and diligence means a promise of compassion—that others can rely on you to recognize the needs around you, care about the needy, seek diligently to do what you can to alleviate the need, and persevere in your effort.
Promise of appreciation means that others can rely on you to receive with appreciation, any goods or service provided to you by others to address your needs. They can rely on you to appreciate the human providers and appreciate God for positioning and empowering them to provide for your needs.
Promise of obedience means that others can rely on you to respect and submit to their authority; contribute as you can toward accomplishing goals shared with others; and accept decisions of the authority, irrespective of your contribution being accepted or not accepted.
Summary of What We Learned
Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and through interactions with the disciples and others provide understanding of the meaning and value of humility in human relationship with God and interactions with others.
Humility toward God leads to realizing that every person can accomplish God’s purpose in every situation, but only with God. In human interactions, humility means a recognition and respect that there is always another person greater or better than I in one or more considerations. God rewards those that recognize and respect others as potentially greater or better.
Humility manifests as an invitation to positive human interactions, with a promise of care and diligence, promise of appreciation, and promise of obedience; conveyed to others through attitude and spoken or written words.