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Good Afternoon GBC Family!

I hope today reminds you of the warmth we have in Christ!

Midweek Meditation: “I Am Lowly:” Majesty Dressed in Humility
Matthew 11:29c

Imagine people wore price tags and it were up to you to evaluate them. How naturally judgmental a scenario! On what basis would you estimate the value of someone? In Matthew 11:7-29, Jesus says “Come unto me…for I am humble (lowly in heart). He invites lowly people into his lowliness of spirit, that he might redeem them them into eternal glory. Jesus’s value system naturally valued others first. Note the depth of Christ’s downward progression in Philippians 2:5-8. From the form of God to the form of man. From the form of a man to the form of a servant. From the form a servant to dying a human death. From dying a human death to dying the most humiliating death— the cross.  He constantly undervalued his own importance and honor to elevate the unimportant and dishonorable. Meekness and humility were not respected leadership qualities in this era and culture. Greco-Roman leaders were pompous and authoritarian. Jewish leaders were verbally sharp and forceful in personality. Jesus came offering a new way. The two most prominent leaders of Jesus’s new way were a man who dressed in animal skins and toughed it in the wilderness (John the Baptist) and the humble carpenter Himself. These are not the powerful resumes that New Testament Israel hoped to see in the new way of their Messiah. They wanted a Legolas— a head turning prince coming in beauty, royalty, and powerful military potential. But they got Aragorn, the king from the wilderness whose royal position and power was veiled in rugged mystery and human modesty. Hear how Jesus is described in Isaiah’s Servant Song:

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.[1]

We are faced a question. Do we admire Jesus' humility? We have a tendency to define and respect leaders much the same way the ancient world did. Therefore, we tend to value the same qualities in ourselves. We’d rather be thought of as impressive than modest. We’d rather be respected for public achievement than private plodding. But we are reminded by James the Apostle that if we really want to live a true gospel life, pride is the primary hindrance. God strengthens the humble in the grace of Christ, but he stiff-arms the proud. To be clear, this is a mutual resistance. God resists the proud because the proud resist him. We relinquish the rest available in the humility of Christ when we proudly resist the grace of God. In order to enjoy Christ’s humility, we must constantly become humble. Jesus wants to give us himself. He is the kind of person he wants to give grace to—humble.



Ministry Prayer Requests

  • Pray that God would keep us from idleness this summer.
  • Pray for growing hearts of humility.
  • Pray for upcoming fellowship opportunities, that we might be built up in Christ and strengthen our union in him.

Ministry Reminders

  • Wednesday night Bible study at 6:30.
    • The church kids to minister to our widows and shut-ins by writing them cards.
    • The kids learn a Bible lesson and memorize Scripture.
    • We will study the Bible inductively— 1 John 2:15-17.
  • This week is our family fun night! This Friday from 6:30-8:30.
  • Always be checking your bulletins!

In Christ,

Pastor Kyle


[1]Isa. 53:2-4