Humility is accepting and living the truth: the truth of our fallen nature, the truth of our utter dependence on God, the truth of God’s love for us and our neighbor, the truth of God’s call to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Jesus condemns the type of pride that denigrates the value of others, that fills us with a sense of superiority over others, the attitude that the world owes me, that it’s everyone for themselves. Grab that chair at the head of the table before anyone else gets there.
Humility depends on realizing that there is a God, and it’s not you. This is bad news for people who want to go it alone, who need to be in control of every aspect of their life and maybe the life of others as well, those who value possessions and power and reputation over people, and seek praise for themselves. There are such people in our world, just as there were in Jesus’ world.
But humility is good news for us, because it points us to the truth of our existence as a human being, oriented toward a relationship with a loving God, and called to extend that love to the world.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
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