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| HumilityThe Scandalous Virtue By telling the Philippians to be humble (Phil. 2:3), Paul fired a broadside at their culture and our own. Like us, the Greeks and Romans exalted the lifestyles of the rich and famous. People were hardly waiting in line to be humble. A humble person meant a slave--servile, groveling, wretched individual. Everyone honored higher thinking and self conceit, and not one would willingly become humble. The idea of humility seemed especially out of place in Philippi. The town hosted a Roman military colony and was given the pretentious-sounding name of Colonia Augusta Julia Philippenisis. Unlike many other towns, it came under a special law, which made it a kind of self-governing outpost of the empire. Pride and self-importance were part and parcel of Philippian life in Pauls day. When Paul told the Christians there to cultivate humility, he didnt mean a groveling, abject demeanor. The biblical humility he did recommend means not thinking that you are better than you really are (Rom. 12:3), but instead acknowledging what you are--with every strength and weakness, plus and minus, success and failure. Unlike self-hatred, real humility makes people so truthful that they dont hesitate, when necessary, to tell about even their good qualities. True humility comes from seeing yourself in relation to God. No wonder this virtue ran counter to the Roman worldview. Their concept of a god was grossly similar to their concept of humanity, and the mythological Roman gods were far from noble. By Contrast, Jesus praised the humble, those people who depend only on him (Matt. 5:3). David expressed their attitude well (Psalm 36:4-6). In the same way the prophet Micah warns that humility is one of three main virtues that ought to govern our lives (Micah 6:8). The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God. Humility is not an option for believers--its an essential if we want to walk with God. Over and over, Scripture insists that we either walk humbly with him, or not at all (Psalm 138:6; Isa. 57:15; I Peter 5:5-7). In short, a biblical lifestyle knows nothing of looking out mainly for number one, it is just the opposite. With John the Baptist we need to say, Jesus must become more important, while I become less important (John 3:30). |
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