A Healthy Dose of Humility and Service Personify "Spend Less, Do More" by Wil Melone
Today’s reading is at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, sandwiched between the return of the holy family from Egypt to escape the massacre of the infants at the hands of Herod and the bestowing of the Holy Spirit on Jesus following his baptism in the Jordan at the hands of John. The fulcrum of these stories contrasting the wrongs of man and the goodness of God is clearly spelled out within today’s teaching.
John condemns the misplaced priorities of the ruling religious elites and challenges them to “bear fruit worthy of repentance.” Of himself, John proclaims of the one to come that he is “not worthy to carry his sandals.” Jesus, God incarnate with no possible need to be baptized, allows himself to receive this sacrament at the hands of the one who has already proclaimed his unworthiness to stand in the presence of God.
The humility and service on the part of both John and Jesus clearly epitomize God’s teaching, especially when it is contrasted with the prideful arrogance demonstrated by the rich and powerful. The importance of this lesson is highlighted by the fact that it occurs prior to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry when Jesus was unknown by the masses or despised by those he condemned for misleading God’s children. This same theme is expanded when Jesus throws down the gauntlet as he launches his public ministry with the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5.
God wants us to be humble servants emulating the life of his Son. Humility and service cost nothing, nor can they be bought with money. When we live a life of humble service, we are giving of ourselves, and we are giving what is truly life-changing. This is the life lived by Jesus; a life not of money and privilege, but of giving.
Consider the places that are holy to you and what you call them. How can you bring peace to a place that needs it? How can you make your community a City of Peace?