Is this Jesus? [Humble Jesus]

What does humility really look like? Is it selling yourself short so that others don't feel threatened by you? Is it allowing others to trample over you? Does it mean you never show your strengths and major on your weaknesses? Somehow Jesus was BOTH strong and humble. He managed to balance being God, and having supreme power and strength, with hanging out with the down-and-outs, the forgotten, the outcasts of society and never making them feel threatened.

Jesus, God in human form, did not consider his god-likeness a deserved right, but made himself of no reputation, coming instead in the form of a servant (to God's will), lived an innocent life and died a criminal's death so that our sins might be forgiven and we could be restored to God (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus had every opportunity and temptation to reveal himself as God. When the Sadducees and Pharisees called him blasphemous, when the soldiers taunted him 'the King of the Jews', when Israel nailed him to a cross and then proceeded to say, 'if you are God get yourself down from there', oh the temptation to just show them the truth. To reveal himself in his glory...to make them eat every last word of theirs, to regret every doubt and accusation, to realise the mistake in the actions they chose. But Jesus, in his humility, stayed true to his Father's will, and said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) A picture of weakness?

Pride gets in the way of our relationship with God. It puts me, myself and I at the forefront of my life's agenda and doesn't let God get close. Even in our christianity we can allow pride to filter in...think about what you do in church, who you sit next to. Do you consider yourself more important? Do you play a more vital role in church life than they do? We have to remember that we are part of the body of Christ, no one part is more important than another (1 Corinthians 12:14-26). Remember our salvation had NOTHING to do with us, it was, and is, all about Jesus. We can't earn spiritual brownie points for living a more 'holy' life than we did last week, Jesus is our righteousness and he never changes. If we shall boast on anything let it be on Jesus - keep him the centre of our attention! (May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:13-15)

Humility is not about having a high, or a low, opinion of yourself, it is about achieving a balanced view of yourself. Romans 12:3 urges us to have a 'sane' opinion of ourselves and of the capabilities that God has given us, recognising the source of all these gifts, talents and strengths - God. As soon as we feel we can cope, or we can preach, or we can do this or that, we are 'skating on thin ice' - humility is acknowleding the source of our strength, that we are dependant on more than our own natural ability.

Had Jesus come to earth full of pride he would have alienated the world, set an impossible standard to follow, and in doing so left the world to eternal judgement. Instead he left his power, glory and majesty in heaven and came to the world as a defenseless, dependant baby where he grew up and lived a humble life of submission and obedience. Instead he embraced the world, the dirty, the unrighteous, the sinners, the unforgiveable, the cheats, the proud, that's right, us, and brought us near. Remember this humble Jesus, who demonstrated that humility and meekness is 'strength under perfect control' and let us be those who remember who our source is and never become 'too big for our boots'!