Jesus’ parable is, like many of his parables, amusing – the image of a guest taking one of the prime seats only to be told to vacate it for someone more important is definitely funny! So much of Jesus’ moral and ethical teaching can be summed up by the simple statement: ‘For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who, humble themselves will be exalted’.
Perhaps in all the teachings of Jesus, his teaching on humility is ultimately the most difficult one. And the reason for this is because humility, the very opposite of pride, does not come remotely naturally to us. Although the stain of the form of original sin is removed in baptism, we are wounded by it throughout the course of our lives. The ancients used to say that the most important virtue to obtain was wisdom: ‘Whatever you do get wisdom’. However, from a Christian perspective, the most important virtue to get is humility: ‘Whatever you do get humility.’
The problem is humility is often misunderstood. We tend to think of humility as having low self-esteem, having a negative self-image, and the wallowing in self-deprecation and self-effacement. This of course is a myth because humility simply means that we have a sense of God’s greatness and our own littleness before his glory and majesty, and a real sense of our own dignity as a son or daughter of God. Humility also means that we rest secure in God’s love and mercy. And don’t seek the affirmation that comes from showing off about things we have achieved as these are transitory and meaningless. The Spirit teaches us to pity the proud and to have sympathy for their and our own insecurities.
