come on down

Opening Prayer: Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for spending so much time and energy trying to be somebody, when you call us to be nobody.  Give me the courage and the strength and the grace necessary to walk the downward path to you.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Journal: Is your life mostly about ascending or descending these days?  Why?  How does that mesh with the call of Jesus to humility?  How is Jesus asking you to follow him downward?  What does that look like?

Reflection:

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

Down is up in the kingdom of God.  Jesus said it himself, “He who humbles himself will be exalted.”  It makes me wonder why I still seem so hell-bent on climbing; on trying to exalt myself, rather than embracing the call of Jesus to downward mobility. 

The warning is clear.  Jesus doesn’t say, “Those who exalt themselves run the risk of being humbled.”  And he doesn’t say, “Those who exalt themselves sometimes get humbled.”  He says, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.”  Did you hear that?  Everyone.  Not just most, or some, or the majority of, but everyone.  Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.  No might or can or probably to it; he will be.

It seems to me, we can either humble ourselves, or it can be done for us.  The choice is ours.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, you will get us to humility somehow, it is up to us exactly how we want that to happen.  Help us to accept your call, O Lord, downward.  For when we do, we will find you there.  Amen.