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“After You”

Sermon by Dr. Greg Knox Jones
on Philippians 2:1-11
given February 3, 2008

Someone once asked Leonard Bernstein, “What is the most difficult instrument to play?”

Before I tell you his answer, I want you to think about how you would answer.
What do you think is the most difficult instrument to play?

Some might say the French horn, others the bassoon. I tried to play a flute once and could not get a single sound out of it. Paul, what do you think is the most difficult instrument to play? Never mind, we know your answer! I concede that playing with both of your hands and both of your feet may make the organ the most difficult instrument to play.

However, Leonard Bernstein did not mention any of these instruments when he was asked the question. Instead, he replied with a wry smile: “The most difficult instrument to play is second fiddle.” He was right, wasn’t he? In the orchestra of life there are few instruments as difficult to play as second fiddle.1 Yet hard as it may be, it is something that each of us must strive to master, because the Christian faith says that second fiddle is the most important instrument of all.

This morning’s passage comes from a letter the Apostle Paul sent to the church in Philippi, and it provides a pivotal insight into the life of a Christian Anyone who seeks to follow in the footsteps of Christ must play second fiddle; that is, must walk the path of humility. Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”

Christians are called to play second fiddle because it is the instrument that Christ perfected. He showed us that to live a rich life, we focus not on ourselves, but on the needs of others. This is the counter-cultural wisdom of Christ. While our society urges us to acquire and possess, and to spend most of our energy on ourselves, Christ teaches that life becomes abundant when we serve others.

Author and oncologist, Bernie Siegel said, “If you’re here to get something, you will never live long enough to be satisfied. But if you’re here to give something, then you do not have to live a long life to live a good life.”
Christ calls us to lives of humility, but it’s crucial to clarify what that means. Since arrogance exaggerates self-worth, some people think that humility entails thinking poorly of ourselves. But Christian humility is not aimed at belittling ourselves or destroying our self-worth.

The desert Fathers and Mothers of the fourth and fifth centuries were ascetics who withdrew from civilization to live simple, spiritual lives. Taking a clue from Jesus’ pattern of venturing into the wilderness to pray, they devoted themselves to practices that helped them commune with the divine Spirit. “They found that the desert taught them the essential lesson of humility. Living in the loneliness and desolation of the desert led them to discover how powerless we humans really are, and this awareness helped them to let go of their pride. In humility, they learned to rely on God rather than on the mirage of their own power.”2

If you have ever experienced a power outage for a few days in the winter – when you have no heat or lights – you quickly realize how vulnerable we are to the elements. The illusion of self-reliance and personal strength to overcome all obstacles evaporates in a very short time. We gain a much more realistic and a much less inflated view of ourselves. Humble people recognize that it is a sign of maturity to admit that there are many things beyond our control, and we do not always have a solid response for every question or know what is best in every situation.

Humility derives from the recognition that a foundation built on nothing more than confidence in ourselves – our finite and limited selves – is wobbly. True humility prompts us to seek a grounded foundation; one that is built on faith in the Creator of heaven and earth. As we strive for humility, we gain a quiet confidence that emerges from the knowledge that our true security comes from God, not ourselves.

But the notion that humility is a desirable goal seems to have fallen on hard times. In our “Everybody is a Star” culture, people praise power, pride and self-assurance. Many are suspicious about talk of humility and questions abound. Doesn’t it work against creating a healthy ego? Shouldn’t we applaud every accomplishment large or small in order to boost our confidence? Is talk of humility the church’s way of keeping a thumb on us – reminding us that we are just wretched sinners and should not think well of ourselves?

Certainly the church has been guilty of such abuses of power. But it corrupts the meaning of humility to wed it to guilt. While humble people recognize that they are not perfect, they also realize that the purpose of humility is not to make us feel guilty for imperfections. Rather, humility enables us to look in the mirror. It helps us to avoid the self-deception at which we are so good; imagining ourselves to be autonomous, self-sustaining creatures who have no need of God.

People also feel squeamish about humility because it has been used as a ploy by some in power to keep others subservient. White Christians used it very effectively to keep black slaves obedient. Masters preached the gospel of humility to remind their human property that Jesus called on his followers to become servants, and in fact, said “whoever wishes to be first among you, must be your slave.” (Matthew 20:27)

Patriarchal cultures have used talk of humility and servanthood to keep women from occupying leadership positions. Emphasizing the virtue of humility, they drummed it into women’s heads that females must be submissive to the men in their lives. However, the Scriptures’ insistence on justice exposes the immorality of promoting humility for the purpose of oppressing others. Humility is not a clever device for destroying people’s confidence or subjugating those we wish to control, but rather a virtue that helps us build a solid relationship with God and our neighbor.

The Christian life is characterized by paradox. It is by giving, that we truly receive. It is by serving, that we are served. It is by humbling ourselves, that we are exalted.

You may have heard the one about the three men who arrived at the Pearly Gates at the same time. St. Peter greeted them but said he had some pressing business and they would have to wait a little bit. He ended up being gone for quite a long time, but finally came back to where the men were waiting. He called the first man in, and asked if he minded the wait.

“No,” he said, “I’ve looked forward to this for so long. I love God and I am looking forward to being with Christ. I don’t mind at all.”

St. Peter said, “Well, I have one more question. How do you spell ‘God’?”
The man replied, “Capital G-O-D.”

St. Peter said, “Go right in.” He went out and called in the second man. He asked him, “Did you mind waiting?”

“Not at all,” he said, “I have been a Christian my entire life, and I know that I’ll spend eternity here, so I didn’t mind.”

St. Peter said, “Great. Just one more thing. How do you spell ‘God?’”
The man said, “g-o-d, no I mean capital G.”

“That’s fine,” said St. Peter, “go on in.” Then Peter went back out and invited the third man in and asked him, “Did you mind waiting?”

“Yes, I did,” he said. “It seems like I’ve been waiting in lines all my life - when I was in school, at the grocery, when I went to the movies - just about everywhere – and I really resent having to wait in line to get into heaven!
St. Peter said, “Well, that’s all right for you to feel that way. It won't be held against you. But there is one more question. How do you spell ‘Czechoslovakia?’”3

There’s no room in heaven for people who are full of themselves. It is, instead, a spiritual dimension where people are full of God.

These days many are allergic to humility because they think it demands that they deny or belittle themselves. That is simply not true. Christ wants us to love ourselves, but not only ourselves. The great commandment is to love God and to love others as ourselves.

Humility exposes the selfish impulses that urge us to boost ourselves at the expense of others, and prods us to pay attention instead, to the whispers of God. When we are humble, we embark on a quest for God’s wisdom rather than simply sticking with our own limited knowledge and understanding. We do what we can to be open to God’s guidance, rather than clutching our own preconceived plans.

Some think that humility is for people who are timid, but striving for humility requires courage. We have to loosen our grasp on safe and familiar routines so that we can embrace the possibility that God may lead us to new places, new ideas, new people, new missions and ministries. Becoming humble takes courage because when we yearn to be in harmony with God, it can put us in conflict with those who are driven by greed, envy, anger or arrogance.

Perhaps the main reason that people become defensive when talk turns to humility is that they think it means being weak rather than being strong. However, humility is not wimpishness; humility relies on strength. Not the kind of strength that comes from overwhelming force and not the kind of strength that seeks to dominate. Rather, it is a strength that emanates from justice rather than coercion and from compassion rather than control.

Most of us are confident that God wants us to be kind and compassionate, generous and just; but we’re not enthralled by the prospect of becoming humble. And yet, humility may be the fertile soil that enables these other virtues to flourish, because humility puts God in front of selfish ambitions, and virtues naturally spring from striving to be Christ-like.

Humility reminds us that God is the supreme power in the universe, and whenever we attempt to play God, we do a pitiful job of it. We become so inwardly focused that we accomplish no outward good. The job of Savior has already been taken, and that is very good news because regardless of our intelligence, our wealth, our successes and our experience, we would fail miserably as Savior of the world. People whose every other sentence begins with the pronoun “I,” seem to be blind to this truth.

Perhaps humility can regain its status as an important virtue if we realize that humility naturally derives from the recognition that everything is a gift from God. This planet, with its water, soil, oxygen, plants and animals – all the things that make life possible – are not our creation, but are gifts from God. This humble recognition that it is all a gift, does not make us feel poorly about ourselves or deny our worth, but rather makes us feel grateful to be alive.

NOTES

Thomas Tewell, “The Most Difficult Instrument to Play!” October 15, 2000.
N. Graham Standish, Humble Leadership, (Herndon, Virginia: The Alban Institute, 2007), p. xii.
Told by Patrick Napier in Hometown Humor, USA, by Loyal Jones and Billy Edd Wheeler.

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