Be A Good HOST – Humility

When you listen to Jesus there are some very interesting things He says. Take this for example,

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

Rest is found in accepting the invitation to come to Him. What quality does He offer that should allow us to come to Him? His wondrous and amazing miracles? His profound teachings? His ability to command nature? His integrity and righteousness? All of these are found in Him and He doesn’t downplay or neglect these elements.

The reason why we can come to Him, though, is because He is gentle and humble. Learning from Him as He gives us rest is to learn what it is to be gentle and humble. Those are not the first qualities people think about when they thing about ‘great’ people. Characteristics that appear to inspire and motivate people are a lot more charismatic and dynamic in nature.

The humility of heart in Jesus is not something He talks about. It’s seen in His concern for people and ability to reach wherever they are and be accessible in whatever condition they’re in. Whether they suffer from leprosy or are being ignored by crowds because they are social outcasts for other reasons. Others might consider themselves ‘better’ than those lowly types, but Jesus has no problem associating with them, connecting with them and offering them an invite to who He is.

This humility is even seen with His disciples when He washes their feet after their final meal before His crucifixion.

The King of glory exhibits humility and invites us to come to Him as the perfect HOST because He embodies that in all His dealings. It doesn’t make Him weak at all, it’s an expression of knowing where His being is sourced.

It’s not unusual, then, that when outlining His foundation teaching on what it is to be a subject of the Kingdom of God, the first key quality is to be poor in spirit. That’s the first expression on our part of needing God in every aspect of our lives. That’s our posture of humility not thinking we’re anything in and of ourselves.

The example even goes further in teaching the principle to contrast with the tendency among those higher up the social standing who would be keen to impose their position by looking for the best seats in events. Jesus burst that bubble by encouraging people to take the lower seat and if recognition would be needed it would be for others to express that, rather than suffer the embarrassment of being displaced for the presumptuous nature of thinking you’re all that.

It’s an endearing characteristic of good hosts to express that humility. It puts the other first and it doesn’t seek attention as though they are what everyone should revolve around. Humility as the first character puts things in their right order. Everything we are is because of God and what we are is then ready for the benefit of others. No desire to be the centre of focus, but the greater desire to shine the focus on where it belongs.

Indeed truly reflecting what should matter starts with learning from the one who invites to find rest in Him – the gentle and humble one.

Questions to consider in being a Good HOST – 1 Humility:

How does Jesus display humility in His ministry?

Who in my every day life exhibits that quality of humility?

How can I reflect that in my day to day life?

What prevents me from exercising that?

(Photo by Nuno Silva on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden