“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” Matt. 23:12,13
Devotional Thought For The Day
Humbling oneself is generally a very difficult and painful task. Whether we just want people to like us, or we want to conquer and rule the world, we tend to put ourselves forward as admirable, worthy of being exalted. The only thing more painful than humbling ourselves is to be humbled by others, especially public humiliation. But the axiom of Jesus is surely fulfilled: the self-exalting are humbled while humble and repentant believers in God’s grace and mercy in Christ Jesus – those who tremble at God’s Word – will be exalted.
Religious and theological premises actually point and direct people either toward self-exaltation or humility. The premise of the Pharisees – that we enter the kingdom of heaven on the basis of our own works and merits – tends toward self-exaltation. The one who gets in has “done” what he needed to do, and this has to move a person to smug hypocrisy and pride. There are many religions like this today, in fact all religions other than Christianity teach this, and some “Christian” churches get confused and teach this same wicked hypocrisy. We must hear what Jesus says of such, that they do not enter the kingdom of heaven themselves. And when they teach that the kingdom of heaven is entered into by our doing, by works, and not by simple, humble faith and trust in Jesus alone, they are in fact shutting the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces and not allowing them to enter in. It is not hard to fathom God’s feelings about this, or what kind of woe and “humbling” is coming down the pike for them.
The teaching of Holy Scripture, and of Jesus, directs us to humble ourselves in repentance, to acknowledge and confess our many sins to God, and to rely upon what He has done for us on the cross – that He is the blood atonement for our sins and for the sins of the whole world [1 Jn. 2:2]. The promise will surely be kept, that those thus humbling themselves will be exalted. They have entered the kingdom of heaven – by simple faith in Jesus – and have become heirs of God’s glory. They not only joyfully enter in but urge and encourage others to do the same – by bringing them to God’s Word and His gracious forgiveness and salvation in Christ Jesus. They also humbly forgive others, refusing to exalt themselves over others.
There are many people who cannot understand this, who refuse to be taught by Jesus – humbling oneself is very difficult and painful. We must understand what this is, a form of self-exalting that keeps us out of the kingdom of heaven and brings woe and humiliation. Lord, have mercy. On the other hand, those who are willing to endure the pain of repentance and confession, who are humble and contrite and tremble at God’s Word, will be lifted up and exalted as dear and precious children of God, fully forgiven, cleansed from all sin and guilt – and they have already entered the Father’s house, the kingdom of heaven. God grant that we always be such humble believers and followers of Jesus.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, You know the inner movements of our sinful hearts, how we delight in exaltation and personal glory, and abhor humility. Forgive us, and humble us in repentance, that we eagerly receive Your invitation to the kingdom of heaven by faith. Forbid that we allow hypocrisy to remain in our hearts, or that we ever keep others from entering Your kingdom. Amen.