The Three Dimensions of Humility
Matthew 5:5
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
September 21, 2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes
Early last week I read an excerpt from Oxford graduate, novelist, poet and cultural commentator Paul Kingsnorth, called by some “England’s greatest living writer.” In a Free Press article, he explains “how the West lost its soul.” In essence:
“We’ve abandoned the founding religious story that sustained us for 1,500 years. The result is the greatest age of abundance we’ve ever known—and a complete lack of meaning.”
His brilliant essay is an excerpt from his upcoming book (which I’ve already requested on interlibrary loan from our local library). Kingsnorth makes this assertion:
“The modern experiment has been the act of dethroning both literal human sovereigns and the representatives of the sacred order, and replacing them with purely human, and purely abstract, notions.”
He shows that the secularism of our culture, while rejecting the unifying moral compass of Christendom, has nothing with which to replace it. Thus we are left with a “post-truth” society in which “our politics have become religion.” Political parties have replaced denominations; stump speeches have the feel of a tent revival; donating to candidates is like tithing.
He continues, “But unlike biblical religion, political religion is a zero-sum battle in which the other side is dangerous and our side must do whatever it takes to win. The future of the nation is at stake, we tell ourselves. And we’re right, but for the wrong reasons.”
What role does humility play in our increasingly complex world? Do the words of Christ on humility even matter?
A. W. Tozer: “For the Christian, humility is absolutely indispensable. Without it, there can be no self-knowledge, no repentance, no faith, and no salvation.” St. Augustine: “Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”
C. S. Lewis adds: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
To see the Someone who is above you, choose humility. Jesus said it this way: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). What does it mean to be “meek”? Why do we need to be “meek”? Why is “meekness” the key to a happy life? What does it look like in your life this week?
Value humility as God does
“Blessed” means to have a sense of wellbeing that transcends all circumstances, the kind of blessing only God can bestow. “Are the meek”—the Greek word is praus. It has several hues within its spectrum of meaning, but it reduces to the idea of humility before God.
Such people will “inherit the earth,” being blessed by God in every way. Not just part of the earth, but all the blessing God might give. No conqueror has ever won what God promises here.
But we try. We try to inherit the earth through our performance, possessions, and perfectionism. By trying harder to do more, have more, be more. And so genuine humility is hard for many of us.
Like many of you, I am a performer by nature. It is my natural personality to want you to like me, to be impressed by me, to affirm me. Many of us are this way. We live in a performance-dominated culture, where we are rewarded for what we can produce. But it’s hard to want to impress people and be humble at the same time. Performing makes biblical humility hard.
On the other hand, many of us also struggle with self-esteem issues, making the wrong kind of humility easy.
Consider this profound statement by psychologist Paul Tournier: “I believe there is a great illusion underlying both the despair of the weak and the unease of the strong—and the misfortune of both. This great illusion is the very notion that there are two kinds of human beings, the strong and the weak. The truth is that human beings are much more alike than they think … All … in fact, are weak. All are weak because they are afraid. They are afraid of being trampled underfoot. They are all afraid of the inner weakness being discovered. They all have secret faults; they all have a bad conscience on account of certain acts which they would like to keep covered up. They are all afraid of other men and of God, of themselves, of life, and of death” (quoted in Ten Habits for Effective Ministry, 21).
Many of us feel badly about ourselves, leading to a self-punishing, demeaning kind of humility. A performance-centered society and low self-image both make biblical humility hard for us.
But listen to what Jesus said about such humility. He described himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29 NIV). He promised us, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). He warned us, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). And he taught us, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14–15).
The blunt fact is that we cannot be “blessed” by God unless we value humility as he does.
A truly humble man is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady.
The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. "It's perfectly all right, Madam," he replied. "Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it's always a delight to do something for a friend." She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.
Consider the words of one of the greatest theologians of all time (the apostle Paul):
I am the least of the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:9
I am the very least of all the saints. Ephesians 3:8
I am the foremost of sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15
Will you be a woman or a man who values humility as God does?