CHRISTMAS' HUMILITY (5 OF 52)
Scripture: Hebrews 2:9-18
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Christmas' Humility (5 of 52)
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Hebrews 2:9-18
Humility is not a notion we embrace comfortably. On the one hand, we joke that if we recognize our humility, we lose the title. On the other hand, we promote anything but humility. We make idols out of those who brag about themselves, never admit to failure, refuse to accept help, and would never dream of asking forgiveness or accept any responsibility for harm they cause. We praise captains of industry who downplay injustice that lines their pockets. We elect politicians who make no apology for misdeeds. We applaud celebrities who paint themselves as larger than life. How can we celebrate Christmas' message while fighting to keep humility from finding its way into our lives?
Our first problem is that the story is not about us. We are not the ones being celebrated. We are not the ones being adored, fawned over, or worshiped. Well, in one sense we are, but we are all being fawned over together, at once, with no distinction or rating scale. Christmas is not about some of us being in positions of greater or lesser standing. It is not about some making the cut while others miss the mark. It is not about belonging to the in-crowd or finding ourselves shut out of the same. Rather, it is God caring for us all, without distinction. It is not that we are deserving, but that God is gracious, loving, and humble enough to come among us.
Somehow, that does not sit well with us. Oh, we like to talk about God loving everyone, but when it gets down to it, we really want some of us to find ourselves in a better light than others. We have this deep-seated yearning to be set apart as special, different, better than all the rest. Kind of like the children in Garrison Keillor's ''Prairie Home Companion,'' we all want to be believe ourselves to be above-average. We want to embrace the concept that if we are better off than someone else, it is because we somehow deserve better than ...
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Hebrews 2:9-18
Humility is not a notion we embrace comfortably. On the one hand, we joke that if we recognize our humility, we lose the title. On the other hand, we promote anything but humility. We make idols out of those who brag about themselves, never admit to failure, refuse to accept help, and would never dream of asking forgiveness or accept any responsibility for harm they cause. We praise captains of industry who downplay injustice that lines their pockets. We elect politicians who make no apology for misdeeds. We applaud celebrities who paint themselves as larger than life. How can we celebrate Christmas' message while fighting to keep humility from finding its way into our lives?
Our first problem is that the story is not about us. We are not the ones being celebrated. We are not the ones being adored, fawned over, or worshiped. Well, in one sense we are, but we are all being fawned over together, at once, with no distinction or rating scale. Christmas is not about some of us being in positions of greater or lesser standing. It is not about some making the cut while others miss the mark. It is not about belonging to the in-crowd or finding ourselves shut out of the same. Rather, it is God caring for us all, without distinction. It is not that we are deserving, but that God is gracious, loving, and humble enough to come among us.
Somehow, that does not sit well with us. Oh, we like to talk about God loving everyone, but when it gets down to it, we really want some of us to find ourselves in a better light than others. We have this deep-seated yearning to be set apart as special, different, better than all the rest. Kind of like the children in Garrison Keillor's ''Prairie Home Companion,'' we all want to be believe ourselves to be above-average. We want to embrace the concept that if we are better off than someone else, it is because we somehow deserve better than ...
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