What does humble yourself mean?
Luke 14:11“Yes, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Why is Jesus encouraging us to humble ourselves? Is being humble my ticket to get into heaven? Being humble is a fruit of faith. Humility does not earn us eternal life.
What does humble yourself mean? The answer is that every believer in Jesus and His Word is humble.
When I look honestly into my heart, what do I see? I see what sin has done to me. When I stand in front of my God, I have to say like the tax collector in the parable said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13) That is what it means to be humble. To realize we are the furthest from being perfect. We don’t have anything to brag about before God.
When you and I realize our sinfulness, that we have fallen far short of being perfect, we need to listen to what Jesus has done for us. That is the message of the Gospel.
St Paul in Ephesians says it best, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph.2:8,9).
Jesus has exalted every believer. The only way you will know this exaltation is when you listen and read His Word. The Holy Spirit will convince you that you are humble and he will exalt you through the means of Grace, the Gospel in the Word and Sacraments. God has been and will continue to be merciful to you a sinner. You are justified like the tax collector was. You are exalted because Jesus has made you right before God.
Prayer:
Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me.
All my wants to him are known;
All my sorrows are his own.
Safe with him in earthly strife,
I await the heav’nly life. (CW #578v.4)