Humble and Lowly

Advent Day 17

Second Tuesday in Advent

December 13, 2011

Reading: Zephaniah 3:12–13 (NRSV)

¹² For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord— ¹³ the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.

Theme: A People Humble and Lowly

Reflection:

I think that very few of us would typically like to think of our ourselves as humble and lowly. We might be OK with humble, but lowly just doesn’t fit most of our self-images. In fact, such an opinion of ourselves might result in our being labeled as having “low self-esteem”! We are more likely to favor descriptions such as self-confident or assured or poised.

Why does the prophet Zephaniah claim that God will leave a people lowly and humble? The remnant of Israel, to whom Zephaniah is referring, are the people left after the Babylonian invasion, exile and return. They had been a proud people, who at one point had been world leaders in the Middle East. Their pride resulted in a haughty self-confidence that led them away from God and God’s laws. Their wealth was no longer shared or used responsibly, and they began to worship the gods of neighboring countries rather than the ONE GOD.

After their experience in exile and their return, facilitated by God, to their homeland, the remnant of Israel have been humbled. They no longer have their swagger or self-assurance, and they have returned to a dependence on God. They have been humbled and are now able to think of themselves as lowly.

In this Advent season, perhaps we, who like to think of ourselves as self-confident, should reflect on the humbleness and lowliness of the one for whom we wait. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is born in the animals’ feeding trough, because there was no room for his lowly parents at the inn. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus refers to himself in saying “I am gentle and humble in heart.” (Matthew 11:29) Jesus’ mother Mary also refers to lowliness twice in her song in Luke: “For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;” (Luke 1:48) and “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;” (Luke 1:52) Coming from Jesus and Mary’s mouths, the words humble and lowly have taken on a new respect.

Perhaps, we who profess to be followers of Jesus need to look for the role of humbleness and lowliness in our own lives. Perhaps in waiting for Jesus, we will learn how to be the servant of the one who served others.

Prayer: All powerful God, help me to depend on you and take refuge in you, rather than depending on my own self-confidence. Help me to be your servant, lowly and humble. Amen