The Wisdom of Humility

Prayer

Wisdom versus Foolishness

One of the great things about our trip to Belize was to see remnants of Mayan civilization and to learn about Mayan culture.

Going in, we - like I suspect most of you, knew very little about the Mayans. So, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn from the guides we had on the various tours we took. We had Junior showing us around one of the main Mayan ruins in the area, Xunantunich, and then Basilio took us through Actun Tunich Makhal, the cave of the stone sepulchre.

These guys knew their stuff, they’d been well trained, both of them talked about keeping up-to-date with what was being discovered by reading the most current research papers. In fact, one of fun things we got to experience was meeting two of the primary archeologists who were doing research in the cave on our way back to the van.

So, we were locked in on the tours, paying attention to what Junior and Basilio were teaching us, asking questions. It was a great opportunity to learn about culture that we knew almost nothing about.

But that’s not always the case, is it? We don’t often have such a teachable spirit.

Sometimes we decide, this is boring. Or it’s not that important or relevant (who cares?). Or we think something else is far more interesting. Basilio expressed his gratitude towards us because the day before, he had a woman on his tour that did far more talking than he did - which was frustrating for him because he really loves to share what he knows about Mayan culture and history.

But we can be like that. If you’ve ever had to get some time of certification - not really interested in material, but you need proof that you learned material. In Texas - you used to be able to get out of speeding ticket by taking a defensive driving course. In my younger years I got an occasional speeding ticket. And I would take class. Not because I wanted to learn defensive driving, but because I wanted ticket off my record (and discount on my car insurance).

But I can think of lots of examples where I was just disengaged because I didn’t think teaching was worth my time. Certain teachers in school - or books they might assign - I’d give minimal effort, just enough to learn material to get grade I wanted. In our old Presbytery, they’d be giving a presentation…lots of doodles on my sheet.

Or maybe I was engaged during the time of teaching, but it didn’t stick. Because I never applied the teaching. I never put it into practice. I liked the idea of it, but not enough to change my habits or behavior.

Last week we began our new Sermon Series, Humble Pie. We started with this very basic premise - that humility is virtue that we absolutely need to nurture in our lives as followers of Jesus. To be humble is essential to knowing and becoming like Jesus, to living in Kingdom of God. We want to get a big a slice as possible of humble pie.

Today, I want to narrow our focus a little bit, to look at how humility is essential because with humility comes wisdom. Pride, great evil, complete anti-God state of mind - leads to foolishness. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

That’s our main point this morning, we must pursue humility because humility is at the very heart of having a teachable spirit, of being a lifelong learner…which is exactly that it means to be a disciple. To be a disciple is to be a lifelong learner of Jesus.

And that really is great challenge - because it’s one thing to be willing to learn about an ancient culture that existed over a thousand years ago. I have no problem admitting I know very little about that. Teach me.

But when Jesus comes to us, what he tells us is, you don’t know how to live life. You don’t know what it means to be good - or even how to be good. You’re doing it all wrong. You need me to show you.

Jesus isn’t coming to tell us that we just need to improve our efforts. Let me show you how to do it better. Jesus is saying that the way we’re living life is fundamentally flawed. At very root. We need a complete redo, to start over.

That’s what it means to repent. That’s invitation that comes to us from Jesus, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” It means to do a complete turnaround, a 180.

We’re tempted to think, “Come on, Jesus, I’m not that bad.” But Jesus says to us, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)

I think I’m pretty good. I try to be nice. But, again, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in my and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

This is where our pride really gets challenged. It’s one thing to think that there’s some areas I need to work on, nobody’s perfect, but I’m ok. I can admit that. I could use some help. I could learn a few things. That’s true.

But to confess - I’m a mess. I need you absolutely. Help me. Teach me.

That requires a lot of humility. That’s what we want to nurture. That complete conviction that I need Jesus to be my constant teacher. I need to come to him with a willingness and readiness to learn, every day. That’s exactly what we see in Jesus himself.

Jesus’ Teachable Spirit

Jesus was a lifelong learner. Jesus, in humility, looked to the Father to teach him, to show him, to guide him. We don’t emphasize this much, but you see it over and over again in the Gospels. Let me give you three examples, all from the Gospel of John:

John 5:19 - Jesus gave them this answer, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

Jesus makes the same claim in John 7:16-17 - Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

Last one: John 8:28 - So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

Do you hear what Jesus is saying here? Everything he teaches, he didn’t come up with. He didn’t think of it on his own, they weren’t his great ideas. Nor did he just spend some time in schooling, and then he was done. Got his theology degree, and then, boom, off on his own. Jesus’ whole life and ministry came because Jesus looked continually to the Father - to teach him, to show him. And then that’s what he would teach, that’s what he would do. He would do nothing on his own.

Jesus, in turn, wants to teach us what Father taught him. He wants to show us what the Father showed him. He wants us to have same perspective, mind and heart set as he had with the Father - I do nothing on my own. I only do what I see Jesus doing.

That’s what he’s inviting us to do when he comes to us, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Or, as James Bryan Smith writes it, “Change the way you have been thinking - a life of intimacy and interaction with God is now in your midst.”

And this is where the question of our pride versus our willingness to pursue humility is so essential.

To change the way we’ve been thinking, to learn from Jesus how to live, requires an intentional act on our part. Our thinking won’t change on its own. We have to willingly let go of way we’ve been thinking - to unlearn - in order to learn from Jesus.

There’s a resistance here, pride that doesn’t like to admit that we’ve been wrong. That we have to start all over (born again - we’re babies!).

It requires humility of being willing to look foolish in the eyes of the world. Because the world does not look to Jesus to learn how to live. To learn from Jesus, to follow his way - is going to put us at odds with much of the “wisdom” of the world - about what’s most important in life, how we should relate to others. How we should spend our time and what we should do with our money.

We’re just now entering the initial planning stage of our new missional focus - to lead youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families into the abundant life of Jesus through the ministry of Young Life Capernaum. We’re doing that because we believe everyone is created in the image of God and worthy of love and honor and a chance to know and be with Jesus.

But that’s not the thinking of world. When pre-natal testing reveals that a child has down syndrome, the odds are great that child will be aborted. 67% in the United States. 77% in France. 98% in Denmark.

Willingness to commit abortion says a tremendous amount about wisdom of world - as does the almost foregone conclusion that a child with down syndrome is not worthy of life, or is incapable of having a rich and fulfilling life, or is too much trouble, or whatever the reason may be.

We have much to unlearn and so much to learn - the great question is whether we will humble ourselves before Jesus - in order to be taught by him.

Beautiful thing is that God wants to teach us. Jesus is more than willing to be our “Life Coach,” to offer us, as Dallas Willard puts it, a master class on life.

Remember Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11? “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.”

Jesus wants us to learn. He wants us to experience life - abundant life. But we must be teachable. That’s our main point this morning - we must embrace humility in order to have a teachable spirit. A willingness to come before Jesus and say, teach me, show me. I need to learn from you how to live life.

I think about the story of Helen Keller, who was less than two years old when she lost her sight and hearing due to an illness. Her only way to communicate and connect was through touch. She was born in 1880, resources for someone so disabled were few and far between.

As a result, it was difficult for Helen to learn. Even when Anne Sullivan came to teach her at age of six, she resisted it, fought her constantly as Anne tried to teach her through sign language, moving her fingers in Helen’s hand.

One particular day, Helen was being particularly difficult at the dinner table and ended up tossing the water from a water jar at Anne. Anne dragged her out to the pump to refill it. As she worked the pump, the water flowing out, Anne signed the word, “water” in Helen’s hand. W-A-T-E-R. It has a name. (which, of course, Helen can’t hear). Finally, moment of realization came, Helen made the connection between the cool liquid flowing through her hands and movement of the fingers. The liquid is water.

It’s a fantastic scene in the movie, “The Miracle Worker” as Helen Keller runs and stumbles to one object after the next, dragging Anne along, gesturing for her to teach her the word for that object. Helen’s whole world opened up because of that one fundamental shift - she became teachable. She no longer resisted Anne’s teaching, instead she pleaded for it.

This is shift that will transform our lives. Absolutely. When we stop resisting and humble ourselves and continually come before Jesus with that same attitude: Teach me. Show me. Help me to learn. I can do nothing apart from you. When we nurture the humility necessary to have a teachable spirit and become a lifelong learner of Jesus.

So let me offer you two practices you can engage in to move toward becoming a lifelong learner of Jesus.

One is to make it a daily habit to sit at the feet of Jesus. Discipline of being with Jesus by reading and reflecting on the Bible, with the mindset of being taught by him. Consider the words of 2 Timothy 3:14-17

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul is telling Timothy here - don’t stop learning! Continue in what you’ve learned - the Holy Scriptures! They make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus.

Every word of Scripture is God-breathed (breath - Spirit) - that’s how God teaches you, rebukes you, corrects you (wrong thinking), trains you - so you can become like Jesus.

Every day, we get taught by youtube videos and cable news and TikTok and wisdom we find on Facebook…are we being taught by Jesus? This is where humility is so necessary - I need Jesus to teach me, show me, every day…begin by cultivating a reading plan...

Second challenge I offer this morning is to cultivate a teachable spirit, nurture humility as you come to Jesus to be taught.

What do I mean by that? There’s so many ways we can read Bible - read it to analyze, study it. For information. Some people love ancient literature - curious about the history, culture. But we want to read it for transformation.

An example - very recent example - reading the NT in year (great reading plan, by the way). Yesterday I was reading Acts 16, story of Paul & Silas being thrown in prison. It just so happens that story had been part of a pastor’s debate on question of baptism this past Thursday. So I start reading it as evidence to prove my point. See, I was right.

Until it dawned on me that’s not why I was there. I was there to be with Jesus. For him to teach me, to show me what he wanted to. I had to repent. Reread the passage, listening for his voice.

This is what Romans 12:1-2 is all about.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

It begins with humility - offering your bodies, your heart, your mind - all of you - as a living sacrifice (get the image in your mind, it’s a powerful one).

Do not be transformed by the pattern of this world - in other words, don’t just go along with the world and way it thinks - but be transformed by what? The renewing of your mind. We have to change the way we think.

Every time you have opportunity, cultivate a teachable spirit. As you sit down for daily Bible reading. Teach me, Lord. Show me. Sundays, when we come to time of teaching, message. Help me to understand. I need to learn. Reading a book. Group discussion.

Let me finish with this

Helen Keller was a truly amazing woman. Blind and deaf, she went on to graduate from Radcliffe College. She learned 5 different languages. She become a social activist, an author and a lecturer (around the globe). She co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union.

And it all began when she humbled herself - quit resisting and eagerly sought the teaching of Anne Sullivan. It transformed her life.

Last March, when I was in Austin, I went with my college buddy back to the ‘ol Alma Mater. On the main tower at center of the University of Texas you’ll find these words emblazoned…You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

But they left out a crucial part that quote from the Gospel of John - “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’

Freedom. Wisdom. Life. It all comes when we hold to the teachings of Jesus, when we truly live as his disciples, as lifelong learners of Jesus.

My hope and prayer is that you’ll eat the humble pie. Nurture humility needed to come before Jesus, teach me. Show me. I need to learn from you.