Humbleness

(by Bill Stevenson)

This essay is in response to a June 23, 2007, sermon about Matthew 18. This is my third attempt
to get it written. The MS Word software ruined the first draft. I accidentally deleted the second
attempt with other files because my mind was concerned about my spouse. So I will have to
completely rely on Holy Spirit to remember what I was thinking 3 mornings. In the past when I
lost my first draft (usually by the computer going off suddenly), the second draft was much much
better. It was like I was relying on my past experience and my intelligence instead of thinking as
Proverbs 3:5-6 says. Then the perfect Holy Spirit guides me in writing the second draft. How
have you been humbled recently? What is your most humbling experience? Why do you think
that God allowed you to have experiences that humbled you?

Two years ago, I did a 14-page Bible study about pride and humbleness. (You can download it
from the Bible folder at http://www.box.net/shared/ivi9mx3hso and
http://www.box.net/shared/yo5163t0r2 .) My favorite verse during my childhood was Matthew
5:5-- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.” I was very shy and easily humbled
by tough situations or by ridiculing peers. The reason I share those two facts is I was humbled
on June 23, 2007, when I realized that I had gone against much given advice of proper Bible
study that I had give to others. I told them to check the contexts of all Scripture they hear in
sermons or read in spiritual articles. The reason for this of course is that there is much misuse of
Bible verses, like promises or exhortations meant for only certain Bible individuals are used as if
they apply to all Christians or all human beings. In the ministries of my past, I used Matthew
18:3 and Matthew 18:15 for two purposes: Verse 3 for indicating that God wants His adopted
children to keep humble and not become like the arrogant self-righteous Pharisees. Verse 15 for
indicating what an offended individual should do instead of doing gossip about the offender.
During the sermon I have indicated above, I was shocked to see that the title of Matthew 18 was
“Christ teacheth to be humble”!! It reminded me of my surprise last year during some sermons
expounding the Epistle of James that all of the chapters indicated different forms of temptation.
(That Bible study is found also in the previous mentioned source of my Bible studies.)
Following, I will show you that all of Matthew 18 has to do with some of the needs for true
Christians to be humble.

Please open your Bibles to that chapter. The first section of verses 1 through 14 deals with two
areas requiring humbleness. The first is in relating to children. There are many people how
mostly ridicule or scorn children. Instead we should look for things to be thankful about the
children who come into our lives and be humble in relating to them. We should not have
expectations of them as we do of adults. We also can learn from them occasionally. I hope that
what I have just written has encouraged you to think of some good memories that you have had
with children.

But there is the common step-parent problem of doing verbal and physical abuse against the step
children. Such damaged my children after I had to leave them, but later the step dad got born
again and is now preparing to become a pastor. I had done a lot of intercessory prayer for him
and my first wife. Also in the daily news, what is there usually at least one story about? Yes,
child abuse. Yesterday, in Iraq a 6-year-old boy told a USA soldier that a man had put on a vest
and told him to go talk to any group of American soldiers. The vest was a bomb (which probably
had a remote control receiver for exploding). And there have been videos of Muslim
kindergarteners singing or reciting hate of Jews and Americans, and desire to be suicide bombers

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for Allah. But even in the USA, there is a lot sexual child abuse. I have a friend whose son was
abused by a man who had sexually abused at least 1 other teenager in New Jersey and 7 boys in a
Christian ministry in the Philippines. And a church pastor was keeping being friends with him
and slandering my friend. And I am sure that you have read the reports about Catholic priests
and altar boys. The latter’s testimonies have been very disturbing. My friend’s son is still
messed up mentally because of the abuse and recently had to testify in the long delayed trial.

The above indicated child abuses are why Jesus indicated that the eventual punishment will be
extremely harsh. See verses 6-10. I was also surprised about the verses 7-10 because usually
they have been used to indicate wrong uses of our body for lusting and fornication. But the
context indicates it relates to wrong relating to children. Also the verses 11-14 are misused a lot.
It doesn’t indicate it is for witnessing or evangelizing to adults. It is still in the context of
children. So that means, as I indicated earlier, we should do what we can to respect and be
humble in relating to children in our lives. We should be evangelists to them too, even if we
have to go search for them. Most people would be satisfied with 99%, but Jesus Christ says we
shouldn’t in regards to children. Imagine if you were supervising a field trip of 100 students and
1 of them got lost. Would you leave because that one did not obey the instructions previously
given? If you did, what would you say to the parents of that child and the principle of your
school?

So I hope that you will be more humble in relating to children. I need to improve in that area
too. But let us go back to verse 3. Jesus Christ said “Verily I say unto you, except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” The
two commands could have been reversed. But it indicates that after an individual is spiritually
born again, he or she should become as a child. The best qualities of a child are trust, honesty,
diligent in learning, and eagerness to please. True adopted children of God will daily increase in
trusting God (so that as Proverbs 3:5-6 indicates that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit);
they will be honest and truthful; they will desire to learn more about what pleases God
(especially as Philippians 2:1-16 and Ephesians 4:11-16 say in seeking how Jesus Christ thinks
and to know Him better). In Matthew 5:20, Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “For I say unto
you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” In the later verses and chapters, Jesus
showed that the Jewish religious were not dealing with the thinking sins, were prideful or/and
arrogant, and had wrong motivations. And I have met many modern day Pharisees. Haven’t
you? What Christians have you admired the most? Those who are as Jesus said we should be:
being compassionate for others and being good trustworthy friends. Such is a result of agapè
love. Jesus said that the world would know His disciples by their love for one another. Such
requires frequent humbleness.

Now let us go on to the next section of verses 15-35. I was surprised by that determination, but
the 4 sub-passages all relate to adult relating to each other in which Jesus Christ is speaking to
the offended or sinned against victim of another individual. I have never seen verses 15-17 done
in any church I have attended. I have had verse 15 done to me only a few times and praised the
individual for doing such instead of doing gossip and slander. Usually tactfully I have done
verse 15 many times. When I haven’t been able to talk to the individual (like the preachers on
TV), I have done intercessory prayer for them. What have you done in the past when you have
been offended? What do most people do? The right way requires humbleness.

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Now look at verses 18-20. I just learned something new-- this also relates to the previous 3
verses because the result of them should be a resolving of a sin or offence. The sin is in a way
bounded on Earth and the bad or negative feelings are loosed on Earth. Verse 19 goes along with
the good results in verse 15. The bad results are bound to Earth. Gossip and slander do not do
such. Bad and other negative feelings about others should be loosed or let go. I have had to send
some lists about letting go to many of my Internet friends because they were still troubled about
individuals and situations of their pasts. And again the right response to others’ sins requires
humbleness and Jesus Christ will be involved. John 16:13-14 indicates the latter too-- “Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of
Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to
come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.”

Verses 21-35 deal with forgiveness, but I have never heard a sermon with the whole context until
last Saturday. But I think it is obvious that humbleness is required for forgiveness, but to Peter
and the unforgiving servant it wasn’t. I was surprised that Jesus indicated unforgiveness is
wickedness in verse 32 and the punishment was severe. So humbleness in situations requiring
forgiving others will help us not be tormented. Have you ever been tormented in your mind
when you didn’t forgive someone? I have. And any bitterness and resentment can lead to
serious health problems. So it is not just human tormentors being indicated in verse 34. Jesus
said to love our enemies. We should not pray against them either. We should actually pray that
they will get right with God and be blessed.

There are many other kinds of relationships and situations which require humbleness in proper
response. Even in the next chapter, Jesus shows humbleness via tactfulness and proper use of the
Old Testament in relating to the Pharisees’, His disciples’, and the young rich man’s challenging
questions. A thought just came to my mind, maybe a theme of the Bible is humbleness for
repentance to righteousness. I had previously taught that the major neglected Bible theme is
repentance to righteousness (or Christ-likeness). Now I think I should change that to humbleness
for repentance to righteousness. I have sure been humbled by this Bible study.