Of Underwear & Humility - Reflection 4th Sunday OT

Of Underwear & Humility (Readings)

The people of our country protests, name call, and bicker. It is a battle of egos, a shouting match on social media and the news driven by a concept of perfection in ideologies that are different. The demand for perfect is the enemy of the possible good. Each believes they are smarter and wiser and more devout in their opinions than others.

Ego emphasizes individuality. Our ego pushes us away from God and others. In our ego we tend to limit our interpretation of redemption and grace to those like us. That is not very many.

Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., realized that our egos battle our reality; yet, even in humbleness we can achieve great things. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.””

Grand egos tend to lose peace and find conflict. They lose contact with simplicity of humility.

Maybe they should hear Paul’s words:  Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, to reduce to nothing those who are something.

In this time and in this country we need to stop and listened to the Good News. For the same way the Bible tells us what not to do in the Ten Commandments, Jesus tells us what to do in the Beatitudes. I like to call them the “Blessed Be(s)”

These “Blessed Be(s)” are the recipe for humility.

To live humbly and show grace is not easy. The thing that is easy is to be a sinner. Sinners are likely to be: Arrogant, Autocratic, Coveting, Disdainful, Envious, Egotistic, Greedy, Hard Headed, Judgmental,Opinionated, Prideful, Spiteful

You get the idea!

But it is the very words of Jesus that tell us to be humble.

Blessed be the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed be the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed be the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed be the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Because of sin, it is not our natural talent or ability to be humble. For many, humility is impossible without “outside help.” That is where we find Jesus; no other help makes us humble and allows us grace.

Blessed be they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed be the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed be they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed be you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

As a Deacon, I want to live these blessed be(s). I want my ministry touch people. When I proclaim the Gospel, the Good News and words of our Lord Jesus Christ, I want it to touch people’s hearts. I want my preaching filled with the Holy Spirit. I want those who hear those words or read them to be moved.

It is for all those “I wants” that one beatitude or “blessed be” is about. For me it is the hardest.

Blessed be they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

I have to die to myself. I have to mourn all those “I wants.” God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have to mourn for the loss of my ego, my want for adulation, my arrogance, my vanity, and all the other things I worship in myself.

St. Paul gets it. He writes in 1 Corinthians. By God’s favor, I am what I am.

I pray that I am not too wise. I am not too powerful. I hope by His grace, I am one of God’s chosen foolish ones.  

Today many have no humility or they need to change their idea of humility. Times have changed. God hasn’t changed. The beatitudes haven’t changed. “Blessed be” all who strive to live by them.

Grand egos tend to lose peace and find conflict. They lose contact with the simplicity of humility. In fact, author Helen Neilson writes “Humility is like underwear, essential, but indecent if it shows.”  

Two simple things I learned as a child:  Always wear good and clean underwear and blessings and happiness come from the Lord.

Yall be good, yall be holy, preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.