Monday, August 06, 2018

Blessed are the Humble


Blessed are the Humble
Psalm 25:1-10[1]
It seems to me that humility is one of those qualities with which we have a kind of “love-hate” relationship. One the one hand, most of us don’t much care for those who go around constantly beating their own drums. It’s annoying at least and downright offensive at worst! From that perspective, humility is a good thing. But on the other hand, we live in a world where the “meek” definitely do not inherit the earth. Rather, in our culture “Nice guys finish last” and if you don’t take whatever advantages present themselves to you, you miss out. From that perspective, humility is a weakness, not a virtue. I don’t think the phrase “Blessed are the Humble” would find much traction on the nightly news!
But if you pay attention to the Scriptures, you will find a very different story. The God who seems to “hide” as much as he reveals himself is one who reserves that self-disclosure for those who are humble enough to know how much they need God. Jesus praised God for hiding the truth of the kingdom from “from the wise and learned” and revealing them “to little children” (Matt. 11:25). And St. Paul reminds us that God has chosen those who are seen to be “foolish” in this world to “shame the wise” and those who are thought to be weak to “shame the strong” (1 Cor 1:27). The implication is clear: humility is a necessary feature of the Christian life.
I think that’s one of the major points of our lesson from the Psalms for today. The theme of the Psalm is, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation” (Ps. 25:4-5). It seems clear that the Psalm is a prayer for God’s instruction. In the context of the Hebrew Bible, that’s a request for God’s torah.[2]  Now, most of us have labored under the mistaken notion that the Torah was the law, rules from which we have been set free by Jesus.  But the torah is not a set of rules that are intended to bind us.  The torah is God’s instruction for what it means to live in the light of the reality that “the kingdom of God has come near.”[3] And so this Psalm is a humble prayer acknowledging that we need help to live according to the ways of God’s kingdom.
What it means to live in the light of God’s kingdom is simply this: make God’s ways the guiding orientation to all of life. But what are God’s ways?  The Psalmist answers that question also: “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ps. 25:10). God’s ways are based on God’s character. According to the Psalm, God is a God of “faithfulness”—which means that God never gives up on relationships; and God is a God of “steadfast love”—which means that God never quits loving us. Based on God’s character, the focus of God’s way is  simply “what is right” (Psalm 25:9). Of course, opinions will vary regarding “what is right.” But again, it is God’s character that defines “what is right” here.  And in the Bible that points to the  compassion and kindness that enables all people to thrive, especially the most vulnerable.[4]
But this path of living according to God’s kingdom, or living by God’s ways, is not one that comes automatically to us. In order walk this path, we must be taught—taught by God. And in order to be taught, we must have humility. I think it’s important to note that in the Psalm God’s instruction is for those who are humble enough to know that they need it. The Psalm says it this way, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Ps. 25:9).   Those who are open to God’s way are the ones who are humble enough to realize that they need God in every aspect of their lives.  They are the ones who are humble enough to align their lives with God’s kingdom when it begins to make an appearance. It reminds me of what Jesus said in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Matt. 5:3). I like the way the Message translation puts it: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” I think that’s the kind of humility we need if we want to learn how to live according to God’s ways. That’s the kind of humility we need to follow the ways of God’s kingdom.
One of the fundamental lessons of Lent is that we are called to live the life of the kingdom of God.  But another of the fundamental lessons of Lent is that we cannot live the life of the kingdom on our own.  The only way we can possibly align our lives with God’s ways is if God “teaches” us. That means being humble enough to recognize that we need God to show us how to live. But being humble enough to seek God’s instruction is a matter of trust—it’s a matter of entrusting ourselves to God’s goodness and steadfast love and faithfulness, and being willing to take the risk of following God’s ways. When we do that, I believe we will discover that the humble truly are blessed.


[1] ©2018 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 2/18/2018 at Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
[2]As the Psalmist puts it, God “instructs [torah] sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8). James L. Mays, Psalms, 127, reminds us that in the context of the Psalms, “the torah of the Lord, his instruction of those who fear him, is part of God’s saving work.”
[3] Mays, Psalms, 126: God’s instruction “is guidance that makes it possible to live in and according to the rule [or Kingdom] of God.”  Cf. also Mays, 98-99, 152, 168, 254-57, 301, 381-84.
[4] Mays, Psalms 311: “Righteousness is the rightness that makes for life and shalom; justice is found in decisions and actions according to righteousness.” 

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