Jesus continues to teach his disciples about God's kingdom as he proclaims a radical new order to the world. He describes how his mission to transform the world will involve his death, but that he will rise again. Jesus doesn't want personal acclaim or adulation – he asks to be our servant leader. As I thought about today’s Gospel message, I thought about the importance of humility as a virtue in our lives of faith, a virtue that helps us discover the truth and goodness of God in our lived reality. Humility can be a great challenge, for how do we know when we are truly being humble? Where do we draw the line between taking care of ourselves and taking care of others?
John of the Cross, the great 16th century Spanish mystic, once said: “To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but on the greatness of its humility.” We are called to humility by God, but in a healthy, integrated way. Yes, it’s good for us to be recognized and appreciated in life, but spiritually, we should not desire this recognition and praise as part of our being, but to see ourselves in service for Christ, to see our works and recognition as praising him and as a way to live out our faith. Yes, it’s hurtful and painful when we are insulted and put down by others. Yet, in our hurts and sufferings, we’re called to trust in Jesus, to trust in our journey of faith, and to not be afraid of what we face on that journey. In competing and achieving, we’re not to do so in order to satisfy our pride or ego, but in accomplishing our goals and in doing our best, we’re also called to notice the needs of others, to live with compassion, mercy, and hope. We’re not to degrade ourselves or to lack self-confidence and self-respect, but we are also not to lose our sense of charity and solidarity.
Coupled with humility, a fruit of today’s Gospel is joy. The spiritual joy that Christ calls us to is not felt in the accumulation of power, might, and influence, but the joy we will feel as followers in Christ goes beyond any earthly-based happiness or pleasure that is disconnected from our faith. While his disciples were worried about the fleeting values of this world, such as who would be considered the greatest from a very worldly point of view, Jesus’ deepest desire was for his followers to feel the unsurpassable joy that he felt in his constant communion with God. This joy is found in God’s love, God’s peace, and God’s will for us.
The concepts of spiritual joy and humility that Christ calls us to are very different from what so many in our secular world are chasing after in their lives. Even today, many centuries after Christ lived, his message is still radical today, and a quest for humility and Christian joy is still very challenging. But, unless we’re willing to wrestle with what it means to be a follower of Christ, then the life that he calls us to will always be far from our grasp.
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