Some more thoughts on the Lectionary

In a Sunday sermon, it is hard to cover all the ground sometimes that could be covered. For yesterday's sermon, I chose Luke 14: 1-14 (I included the middle part the lectionary leaves out). I focused on vs. 11: "For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

One question that I didn't get to develop too much is this: what does it truly mean to be humble? Merriam-Webster provides the following definitions: "1. not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive; 2. reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission; 3.) ranking low in a hierarchy or scale."

I'm pretty much okay with all of these definitions, but I have some issues with "not assertive." If it is not being assertive in an arrogant way, that is one thing; but, too often humility becomes synonymous with non-assertiveness in Christianity and that causes issues.

Brian Stoffrengen in his Exegetical Notes at Crossmarks deals with the difficulties of the word "humble/humility." He describes how, too often, the word humble becomes synonymous with being nice. "Humility becomes being passive. Letting others walk all over us. Jesus shows by his life that being humble didn't mean being passive, but, when necessary, it meant taking out the whip and driving the self-centered bullies out of the temple."

There are times when, as Christians, we are called to be assertive. We should never be arrogant in our expressions, but we should also never let others walk all over us. Some food for thought.

Journey on....