“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted”
Lk 14:11
This is the basic Bible truth. This verse includes all that Jesus taught and set an example for us, when he lived on earth. It will remind us of our nothingness before God.
In Lk 18:14 we read how the tax collector, who humbled himself before God and asked for God’s mercy acknowledging he is a sinner, went down justified. It was just opposite with the Pharisee who declared before God his self righteousness.
Daniel 4:1,2 and the following touched me very much. In verse 34 King Nebuchadnezzar praises and exalts the king of heaven who can humble those who walk in pride.
God revealed to the king through a dream the future events. Daniel was given the grace to interpret the dream. Daniel told the king clearly , “You will be driven from human society and will make your home with the wild animals, You will feed on grass, as oxen do, you will be drenched by the dew of heaven ; seven times will pass over you until you have learnt that the Most High rules over human sovereignty and confers it on who he pleases (Dan 4:22)
The king forgot all about it. At the end of the twelve months, while stolling on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, the king was saying , ‘Great Babylon ! Was it not built by me as a royal residence, by the force of my might and for the majesty of my glory?’ The words were not out of his (Dan 4:26-28) mouth when a voice came down from heaven :”Of you , King Nebuchadnezzar it is decreed ,the empire has been taken from you……..
”It happened to him exactly as what was told. He lived with wild animals eating grass and drenched by the dew of heaven. He lost everything. No servants ,No royal food, no shelter, but ate grass to live .
After many years he came to his senses. He raised his eyes to heaven. He blessed the Most High and says, ”No one can arrest his hand or ask him, ”What have you done? Then he realized that God humbles the proud.
Lucifer exalted himself. He was pushed out of heaven . But Jesus emptied himself and came down from heaven. By his humility he makes people come out of their pride. He became a slave and was obedient to the Father till the end .The Father exalted him and gave him a name above every name.
Let us analyse our thoughts ,our words and activities .Do we realize that all glory belongs to God ? When others speak in praise of us do we accept that it is God who gives the grace. Are we worried if people don’t speak in praise of us? Do we seek to be exalted and find ways and means to get it? Let us humble ourselves and glorify God.
Sr. Anitta AOJ