Still in One Peace – September 16, 2026 – Blog
Weekly Conversations with Pastor Jeff
I have been reading and reflecting recently on humility. What it is and what it isn’t. One day the disciples of Jesus approached him and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). Jesus, while interacting with a small child, said, “Whoever humbles themselves like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4). How interesting that Jesus gave the disciples – then and now – an image of humility – a small child.
Jesus also said, “Everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and they who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14). Jesus said of himself, “I am meek and humble of heart.” (Matthew 11:29).
Clearly, God values, esteems and treasures humility. What is humility? As C.S. Lewis once said, “Being humble does not mean we less of ourselves. It does mean that we think of ourselves less.” The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who was chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation in the United Kingdom and a brilliant writer and speaker once said…
“True humility is mindlessness of self. An anav (the humble person in Hebrew) is one who never thinks about himself because he has more important things to think about. I once heard someone say about a religious leader, ‘He took God so seriously that he didn’t need to take himself seriously at all.’ Humility is not self-abasement. It is not self-anything. It is the ability to stand in silent awe in the presence of otherness – the Thou of God, the otherness of other people, the majesty of creation, the beauty of the world, the power of great ideas, the call of great ideals. Humility is the silence of the self in the presence of that which is greater than the self.” (Covenant and Humility, rabbisacks.org)
This week…..as we reflect on the call to be humble – let’s neither overestimate or underestimate our lives or our gifting/calling/equipping to make a difference in this world.
Pastor Jeff