Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 38

Day 38

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy 

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Jesus Humility  

Jerome  

While his disciples were arguing about who was most important, our Lord, the teacher of humility, took a little child and said: “Except you be converted and become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” And, lest it appeared that he preached more than he practiced, Christ fulfilled his own command. For he washed his disciple’s feet. He received the traitor with a kiss. He spoke with the Samaritan woman. He talked about the kingdom of heaven with Mary at his feet. And when he rose again from the dead, he showed himself to some poor women first.  

Pride is opposed to humility, and through it Satan lost his high position as an archangel. The Pharisees perished in their pride. For, while they claim that they deserve the most important seats and greetings in the marketplace, the Gentiles, who used to be considered “a drop in a bucket” displaced them. Also, it was two poor fishermen, Peter and James, who were sent to refute the Sophists and the wisemen of the world. As Scripture says: “God rejects the proud and gives grace to the humble.” For in the Gospels, the Pharisee is rejected because of his pride, but the publican is excepted because of his humility. 

TGB: The Passion story is a lesson in humility, but only if we follow Christ’s example in humility. Too many church people still assume that they deserve all that they have … and cannot accept that they are worth nothing at all outside of God’s grace. Or they assume that they cannot receive God’s grace unless they first deserve it. God’s grace is universal, all-inclusive, and, best of all, free for the asking.