The Depths of Humility

While a missionary, I grew to understand there is but one qualification necessary for someone to receive the Gospel as it is presented by weak, though authorized servants of the risen Christ. It does not matter how "religious" or "spiritual" the hearer. Less important are aspects of lifestyle, race, culture, education, status, occupation, scriptural literacy, and how closely they are already aligning their life with God's truths as they understand them.

I believe at the bottom of all the outwardly visible circumstantial considerations, only one thing really matters: humility.

The Lord will have a humble people, whether we choose to humble ourselves or to be humbled by adversity. (Alma 32)

How important it is to be humble!

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Of course, our ultimate example is our mortal Savior. Consider how Jesus was so humble, that He didn't worry about His words or actions appearing prideful to others. He wasn't afraid of being misunderstood by those with little desire to understand Him. He spoke the truth and let the consequence follow. He was incredibly sensitive and possessed a power of discernment that allowed Him penetrating insight into the thoughts and feelings of others, but He didn't shape what He said out of a fear of giving offense. He wasn't always blunt or direct, but He did use the truth in its basic form, unadulterated, pure, and refreshing. His parabolic illustrations allow the hearer to take a lesson appropriate to their own readiness to receive. When pressed for direct answers, He gave them. (Matthew 15)

Jesus was true to His mission. In coming the first time, born as a mortal baby as all others are, He was not to fulfill the greatness of the physical kingdom prophesied. His first coming in the flesh was a spiritual creation, to set in motion the individual personal and family growth, through the Gospel, that would eventually culminate in His glorious kingdom to come as the collective human family chose to accept Him as King of kings and Lord of lords at His second coming. This second coming to earth will see the fulfillment of all the predictions of kingly authority as the physical creation here will follow the spiritual. (Isaiah 9: 2-7; Moses 3: 5; Matthew 27: 11; John 18: 33-37)

Acting as God's prophet during His mortal life, His dispensation of the Gospel was not to be the most glorious. He didn't come to build the church and kingdom that would last through all time. Though He did teach His Gospel to any who would listen, He didn't seek to make His teachings overcome the whole world and the evil thereof. He came to show us a perfect example of how to live. He came to atone for our sins and sufferings. He came to open the way for us to return to our Father under His watchful care.

Imagine, in the worldly sense, how much more "influential" Jesus might have been if He made friends with the Pharisees, tactfully playing to their expectations and working to use their established position over the people to the advantage of His growing ministry. As I study the gospels, that's not what I see Him doing.

When asked if He was the Son of God, He could have said politely, and according to modern vernacular, politically correctly, "Some believe in Me, others do not. You are free to take your choice, with no risks."

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Two favorite stories of mine from the life of the Savior come to mind as I consider how Jesus displayed the profound depth of His humility. One is when He visits His hometown of Nazareth and attends a worship service in a synagogue there.

Jesus was given the book of Isaiah, from which to read and to offer commentary. He read:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

(Luke 4: 16-19; See Isaiah 61: 1-2)

He handed the book to the minister, and sat down to give His thoughts on the reading.

Those in the congregation knew this scripture from Isaiah described the Messiah to come.

Jesus offered no labored analysis. He gave no soaring rhetorical reply. He made no attempt to chummily placate the worshipers, who had known Him from childhood, with some pithy platitude.

Jesus said simply, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

The people violently recoiled against His humble assertion that they were hearing the voice of the very Christ, which Isaiah had prophetically quoted centuries earlier. They took Him up a hill to throw Him off a cliff down to His death. His time had not yet come, so He slipped away unharmed.

The other story is when Jesus was in the Temple in Jerusalem.

A long crescendo of contentious conversation culminates in Jesus' mighty declaration, "Verily, verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM."

That "I AM" written in John 8: 58 is the same as that almighty Name given to Moses on Sinai identifying the One who spoke and gave the law. In other appearances within the King James Version, the translators typically rendered this Name of names with small capital letters as LORD. (Exodus 3: 14-15; 6: 2-3)

The sanctimonious leaders of the Jews abhorred the mere pronunciation of the name of God, JHVH, the tetragrammaton. This was to them unspeakable and most sacred!

Who better to use that Name in righteousness than Jehovah Himself in the flesh, standing before them, announcing His presence in the time preceding His future coming in might and glory?

Not only did Jesus say the unspeakable name of the LORD, He applied it to Himself unapologetically, unequivocally, unmistakably. His use of the Name was not in vain, if only for exposing the pridefulness of those unwilling listeners which cut themselves off from His nourishing branch, imbibed of living water.

As in Nazareth, the fury again reached a pitch. In this instance, instead of seeking to cast Him upon deadly stones from a great height, the people took up stones to pummel Him beneath a crushing burden of earth, to silence and execute their Master. He later drew up all the same manner of misguided condemnation at His trial before the Sanhedrin, when He again claimed to be the Son of God who would come in resurrected glory in the clouds of heaven to claim the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Little did they know it was His voice those stones had heeded long before, when He gave the creationary command, and gathered them from the dust of the universe.

In their rage, they surely missed seeing how, in seeking to trample Him under their feet, they would give those rocks more joy at the coming day when they would break forth in singing angelic anthems to Him! (Helaman 12; Isaiah 55; Luke 19: 39-40)

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Many in the world today seem to suppose that clear teachings, persuasively delivered, impose upon or even remove agency, or an individual's ability to choose.

Speaking clear truth persuasively does not take away another's freedom to choose. Rather, it enhances it. All things which are expedient unto man must be given before someone is properly enticed by good or evil and makes an accountable choice one way or the other. (2 Nephi 2: 16, 27)

Withholding apt information out of fear of offending another is not loving, it's not kind. To be empowered to make good decisions, we must have good information, even if it's uncomfortable or challenging to consider. If we happen to be the one in possession of that good information, we must share it, regardless of the price to pay in coins of comfort, pennies of popularity, lucre of likability, or even whole accounts of appearances, approval or admiration.

It is so important that we be humble enough to admit when we're wrong, and rightfully repent to restored rectitude. This is a necessary step, so often lacking in the pride we see in the world.

But, to continue down into the depths of humility, we must keep going, no matter how it looks to those who only understand humility at a superficial level.

Are you humble enough to admit when you're right?

Are you willing to suffer the shame of the crosses you are called to bear?

Should you find yourself hanging on some figurative cross, after having offered your all at the altar of popular worldly opinion, remember Whose company you keep in those moments.

Jesus, having suffered by descending below all things and overcoming the world, offers us a marvelous gift of His presence and understanding. The more we suffer at the hands of wicked worldly pride, the more we become like Him, in at least this small way. (Matthew 5: 10-12)

He will never leave you.

Never leave Him.