God’s greatness dwells in humility

30 December 

Scripture Reading

Read Isaiah 57:14-15 and reflect on the passage.

A humble King who sits on a great throne, yet is utterly concerned with the lowly, reminds me of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. In the story, a king decides to switch places with a lowly peasant and gains a view of the lowest of humanity—vowing to make life better for his subjects who live in humility, while having a strong desire to offer mercy in a fallen world.

In this passage from Isaiah, is God not the perfect real-life example of Mark Twain’s story? Though God “inhabits eternity” and “dwells in a high and holy place,” He is also with those “of a contrite and lowly spirit.” God’s greatness is that He dwells with and in people of humility. Could it be that God measures greatness based on lowliness?

The anonymous Eastern Catholic monk who wrote Jesus, a Dialogue with the Saviour, speaks of the Father’s humility: “We are accustomed to thinking of the Father in terms of power. Yes, the Father is omnipotent, but the Father’s heart is meek and humble like the Saviour’s. It is meek for in Him there is nothing brusque or abrupt, no violence, no fury, but only kindliness, goodness, and affection. His heart is also humble—not that the Father bows before one greater, as the Son become man bows before His Father, but He attaches no importance to display or appearances. He prefers the poor means and is united to the voluntary abasement of His Son who took on our nature and suffering. We must learn to see the Father in this light.”

Questions

1.      Does it surprise you that God might be more concerned with lowly things?

2.      Have you been searching for greatness in the wrong ways?

  

Prayer

O Divine Spirit, who efface Yourself before the Father and Son; O Jesus, meek and humble of heart; O Abba Father, who humble Yourself to commune with the lowly; O beautiful Trinity, You are Humility! (Attributed to Francis of Assisi)

—Andrew Fuller