Hard to Be Humble

Honesty, Humility, and Hope

Do you recall Mac Davis’s song, “O Lord, It’s Hard to Be Humble?”

How about this? There is a city called Humble Texas. Some might consider that an oxymoron. Sorry, Texas.
 
 There was a Danish King named “Humblus.”

Ghandi said that “aid that an attempt to sustain truth without humility is doomed to become an “arrogant caricature” of truth.”

Jesus, according to Paul in Philippians, “humbled himself.”

Every major religion commends humility as a quality to be cultivated. Jesus exalted humility in this story, knowing that, in order to maintain spiritual ride and superiority, people feel the need to put others down.

It is dishonest and it deprives them of the hope they seek.

Luke 18:9–14

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The story is designed to drive home one point: We must live in humility before God and before people. That is being honest and that brings hope.

As a brief background, Joel speaks to a people who are brought to a place of humility by God and describes the benefits that come to such a humble and humbled people:

Joel 2:23–32

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

O children of Zion, be glad,
 and rejoice in the Lord your God,
 for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
 he has poured down for you abundant rain,
 the early and the later rain, as before.
 The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
 the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will repay you for the years
 that the swarming locust has eaten,
 the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
 my great army that I sent against you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied
 and praise the name of the Lord your God,
 who has dealt wondrously with you.
 And my people shall never again be put to shame.
 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel
 and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
 And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Then afterward
 I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
 your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
 your old men shall dream dreams,
 and your young men shall see visions.
 Even on the male and female slaves,
 in those days I will pour out my spirit.

I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

So, the benefits of humility are the joys, blessings spiritual renewal, calling, and salvation and well as restoration. In other words, hope.

Then we skip to Paul as he reflects upon his life in Christ and his future.

2 Timothy 4:6–8

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Paul’s self=appraisal was honest.

His humility was centered in his embrace of all who longed for Christ’s appearing.

His hope was profound.

Let us return to the two who went to the temple to pray.

The Prayer of the Humble Soul

” Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.” — Luke 18:10

Two men went to the house of prayer to do their religious duty.

For one, it was an exercise in religious pride.

He had no sense of shame. He had no regrets. He had no humility before God and no humility before humanity. He considered himself the poster child for religious piety. He fancied himself a role model for righteousness and a prime example of what it meant to be a favorite of God.

He was a prideful bigot.

The other man was a sinner. Everyone knew he was a sinner, and he knew he was a sinner.

He could not even look up. His shame was so great. His regrets were profound. His sin weighed heavily on his heart. He entertained no pretense of righteousness. His piety was in the deficit column. He was disgraced and disheartened. He prayed with no illusion of worthiness.

He sought only mercy.

God, be merciful to me.I am a sinner.

That is all he could pray. That is all he prayed.

God heard both prayers and God heard both men. God heard both hearts. God justified only one.

Which one? Who comes away justified when people pray in these two ways, one prideful and one humble?

Jesus calls out the honest prayer. It is the humble prayer. It is the cry for mercy.

If you exalt yourself, you will end up embarrassed before God. If you humble yourself, you will come under the Sovereign’s merciful grace.

Once God lifts you, you are truly exalted.

“Nothing in my hand I bring.
 Simply to Thy cross I cling.”
 -Augustus Toplady, Rock of Ages

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SUMMARY

The message by Tom Sims, centered on the theme of humility as the key to honesty and hope, drawing from biblical stories and teachings. Sims began by highlighting the importance of humility across various religions and introduced the main message using the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18:9–14, emphasizing that spiritual pride leads to self-deception and separation from hope, while humility brings justification and acceptance before God. He referenced additional scriptures, including Joel 2:23–30 and 2 Timothy 4:6–8, to illustrate the blessings, restoration, and spiritual renewal that come from honest self-appraisal and humble dependence on God. Sims contrasted the self-righteousness of the Pharisee with the honest repentance of the tax collector, underscoring that God values humility and honest prayer over self-justification. The meeting concluded with a call to embrace humility, seek God’s mercy, and extend grace to others, reinforced by a hymn and a benediction, with the key takeaway being that humility and honesty are essential for spiritual hope and restoration.

DISCUSSION

Humility as a Central Spiritual Value The speaker emphasizes humility as the central theme, drawing from cultural references such as Mac Davis’s song, the town of Humble, Texas, and Gandhi’s assertion that truth without humility becomes arrogance. Humility is presented as a universal spiritual value, recognized across major religions and essential for genuine spiritual growth. The message underscores that spiritual pride leads to dishonesty and a lack of hope, while humility is the foundation for spiritual justification and hope.

Biblical Examples of Humility and Justification The parable from Luke 18:9–14 is used to contrast the Pharisee’s self-righteousness with the tax collector’s humble plea for mercy, illustrating that justification before God comes from honest self-appraisal and humility, not religious pride. The speaker also references Paul’s humility in his letters, particularly in 2 Timothy, where Paul acknowledges his past and credits God’s grace for his standing, reinforcing the message that humility and honesty are the true paths to spiritual hope and justification.

Old Testament Perspective: Restoration Through Humility (Joel 2:23–30) Referencing Joel 2:23–30, the speaker highlights how God brings restoration and blessings to those who have been humbled. After a period of hardship, God promises abundant rain, full threshing floors, and the repayment of lost years, assuring that those who call on the Lord will be saved. The passage is used to show that spiritual renewal, calling, and restoration are available to the humble, and that humility leads to the outpouring of God’s spirit on all people, regardless of status.

The Nature of Honest Prayer and God’s Response The speaker analyzes the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector, emphasizing that God hears both but justifies only the humble, honest one. The message is that God seeks honesty and humility, not self-justification, and that true hope comes from relying on God’s mercy rather than personal merit.

Practical Application: Living Out Humility and Mercy The speaker encourages listeners to approach God with honesty and humility and to walk humbly with others, avoiding judgment and condemnation. Referencing the hymn ‘Rock of Ages,’ the message is that God forgives all sins if approached with humility, and that true peace and spiritual exaltation come from relying on Christ’s mercy rather than personal merit. The closing blessing reinforces the call to peace, humility, and dependence on God’s grace in daily life.