Embracing Humility: The Heart of Christ's Birth
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Humility is the currency of Christ's ministry. It's interesting, we don't hear anything about Mary being upset that this is all there is. That I'm going to give birth in a barn and going to put my baby in a food trough. I've just walked 90 miles and now I'm getting company you know from people who smell like sheep that I don't know. She is content. She is content. Humility brings contentment. Humility is the currency of Christ's ministry. Therefore, it is the currency of Christ's church. Therefore, humility is the currency of John Wesley Methodist. [00:52:54] (53 seconds)
The kingdom of God is coming to earth. And God is defining what the visible standards are for the kingdom of God. So lowly are highlighted and raised up. Bottom-level laborers, like shepherds, are given privileges of royalty at times. It's not about one's status in the world. Rather, God looks at and Jesus looks at people's hearts. The path, the new path up is really down. It is a path of humility. It is a path of being okay with a manger that is a food trough. [00:51:17] (48 seconds)
Jesus, the lamb of God who is destined to be the sacrifice for our salvation, for our freedom from bondage, is born in the very place where all the Passover lambs are born and raised. Jesus, the sinless man, full man, full God, sinless, is born. Yes, God delivers his perfect plan. And unwed, soon-to-be mother and father who are living in poverty. So they walk 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be refugees and to live as refugees for the time being. [00:49:36] (46 seconds)
We have to realize that the lack of humility, we pay a big price for the lack of humility. It can actually sabotage. Our efforts to grow the kingdom of God. Richard Rohr, one of my favorite, he's a Catholic monk, friar. He says that the lack of humility has probably done more to undo the Christian faith than anything else. The lack of humility. That's a lot at stake. Humility is the currency. It is the measure of the heart of a church. [00:54:25] (36 seconds)
Let us have real humility because Jesus came to save each one of us from our mess, from our broken human condition, to redeem us, to lead us, and to send us out, to share his hope as healing with others. We say, what, so what does humility have to do with us? With fear not? Well, when we have humility, just like we think, we can talk about, Mary did, there's a peace about you because you have tried to empty yourself of your agenda and you have a contentment and a peace about you, which kindles the fear, which, which subdues the fear. [01:01:40] (46 seconds)
Mother Teresa, one of my favorite Mother Teresa's quote is she said, if you have humility, you will not, you'll be the same person if somebody criticizes you and, and backstabs you, or if they compliment you. Because you know who you are. You will be standing tall. Jesus was not haphazardly placed in an animal's feeding trough because it was handy. He was laid. He was laid in that messy saliva ridden manger to offer himself as the lamb of God, who is our sustenance, who gave his life so that we could have the abundant life. [01:02:32] (46 seconds)
May we all humble ourselves so that we can take him up on that offer. Dear Lord, thank you so much for this picture, for this description. Thank you. And I'm thinking of our Savior being in a manger. When it's so different from our, our germaphobe culture of especially with our babies and Lord, just that, that we may have a picture that our Savior was born in a place that we need to realize his humility, his sacrifice for coming. Lord, thank you. Thank you for the gift. of Jesus. Thank you for the gift of your plan, even though we are still unraveling it and peeling layers back. [01:03:18] (55 seconds)
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The kingdom of God is coming to earth. And God is defining what the visible standards are for the kingdom of God. So lowly are highlighted and raised up. Bottom-level laborers, like shepherds, are given privileges of royalty at times. It's not about one's status in the world. Rather, God looks at and Jesus looks at people's hearts. The path, the new path up is really down. It is a path of humility. It is a path of being okay with a manger that is a food trough. [00:51:17] (48 seconds)
Jesus, the lamb of God who is destined to be the sacrifice for our salvation, for our freedom from bondage, is born in the very place where all the Passover lambs are born and raised. Jesus, the sinless man, full man, full God, sinless, is born. Yes, God delivers his perfect plan. And unwed, soon-to-be mother and father who are living in poverty. So they walk 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be refugees and to live as refugees for the time being. [00:49:36] (46 seconds)
We have to realize that the lack of humility, we pay a big price for the lack of humility. It can actually sabotage. Our efforts to grow the kingdom of God. Richard Rohr, one of my favorite, he's a Catholic monk, friar. He says that the lack of humility has probably done more to undo the Christian faith than anything else. The lack of humility. That's a lot at stake. Humility is the currency. It is the measure of the heart of a church. [00:54:25] (36 seconds)
Let us have real humility because Jesus came to save each one of us from our mess, from our broken human condition, to redeem us, to lead us, and to send us out, to share his hope as healing with others. We say, what, so what does humility have to do with us? With fear not? Well, when we have humility, just like we think, we can talk about, Mary did, there's a peace about you because you have tried to empty yourself of your agenda and you have a contentment and a peace about you, which kindles the fear, which, which subdues the fear. [01:01:40] (46 seconds)
Mother Teresa, one of my favorite Mother Teresa's quote is she said, if you have humility, you will not, you'll be the same person if somebody criticizes you and, and backstabs you, or if they compliment you. Because you know who you are. You will be standing tall. Jesus was not haphazardly placed in an animal's feeding trough because it was handy. He was laid. He was laid in that messy saliva ridden manger to offer himself as the lamb of God, who is our sustenance, who gave his life so that we could have the abundant life. [01:02:32] (46 seconds)
May we all humble ourselves so that we can take him up on that offer. Dear Lord, thank you so much for this picture, for this description. Thank you. And I'm thinking of our Savior being in a manger. When it's so different from our, our germaphobe culture of especially with our babies and Lord, just that, that we may have a picture that our Savior was born in a place that we need to realize his humility, his sacrifice for coming. Lord, thank you. Thank you for the gift. of Jesus. Thank you for the gift of your plan, even though we are still unraveling it and peeling layers back. [01:03:18] (55 seconds)
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