I have been working on a project in the last month or so, researching and writing on pastoral ministry in the early church. One of the significant differences I found (I think) between their own practise and ours, is their emphasis on humility. Possibly this was because they did not often have Paul’s Pastoral Epistles in front of them (where Paul lays out his own understand of which character qualities he felt should be in pastors and deacons). In any case, a good argument can be made that humility ought to be right near the top of desired qualities in our leaders.
Paul talks about it in Phil 2, as he encourages the Christians in this direction by pointing them to the example of Jesus. In this by-the-way explanation of the nature of Christ, he highlights Jesus’ humility, noting that he had the most to be humble about.
. . . Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
Rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
One of the reasons why the first Christians worshiped Jesus as God was because he was able to do things that only God could do (e.g., calm the wind and waves; forgive sin), and that God the Father gave over to him some other things that only God can do (e.g., judge the world).
The thing that God gives over to him here is the worship that is due to God alone: “that every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,” is a quote from Isa 45.23, and there we find that it is to God alone that these things will happen.
Back to my main point – humility. The early church understood the truth of what Paul is saying here, and the importance of being humble with one another. It is like unto Micah 6.8:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Certainly, it is not always easy to be humble before others. I am sure Jesus was exasperated on many occasions. At what point would he not be able to say, “Man, I could do that better than that guy?” But he allowed them; he empowered them by lowering himself.
A good picture of Christlike humility is seen, I think, in the film The Great Debate, where we meet with a black butler working at Harvard university. The students who first meet him think of him only as a servant, a lowly butler; his humility has clothed his true nobility. Eventually, however, events show who and what he truly is.
While I don’t have much to be humble about, I still struggle in this area. But having Jesus as an example of this quality is certainly a good spur and motivation.
J & S on Mission 