Humility Rules

Anybody here remember back to when John Hinkley tried to assassinate President Reagan? Alexander Haig was Secretary of State at the time, and his response to the crisis was to tell everybody that he was in charge. Which, of course, was not true. the Vice President is next in line, then the Speaker of the House. The press had a field day ridiculing Haig for his presumption. Now, that was nearly 20 years ago, and yet only a couple of weeks ago I heard some TV commentator refer to him as “I’m-in-charge” Haig. That was the big thing they remembered him for. He was a four-star general, former head of NATO, Ambassador to the U.N., Secretary of State... and what do they remember him for? That moment when his misplaced sense of self-importance prompted him to grab for an honor he didn’t deserve.

Can you imagine how humiliating it would be to assume you have a seat at the head table, go up and take your seat where everyone can see you, only to have the maitre’d firmly escort you to a table near the kitchen?

Jesus is giving very good, very practical advice here. Don’t assume you’re more important than you really are. No matter how exalted your status may be, if you reach too high you can overbalance. There aren’t too many people more powerful than the President of the United States, but back in Clinton’s first months in the White House, he over-reached. He held up traffic at the Los Angeles airport to get a haircut. It took him months to live that one down.

There’s a joke about the Pope coming to visit New York. His entourage had ordered a stretch limo for him. As he approached they held the rear door open for him, but the Pontiff said that it had always been an ambition of his to drive in New York himself. So he got into the front seat, and everybody else piled in back. Well, being used to Italian driving habits, it wasn’t too long before a policeman pulled the limo over. It was an Irish cop, which isn’t too surprising considering the demographics, and the minute he approached the driver’s window he recognized the Holy Father, stammered and bowed, and apologized for having bothered him. He went back to the patrol car shaking his head in awe. His partner said, “Who was the big cheese?” The first cop answered, “Well, I couldn’t see who was sitting in back, but I’ll tell you this: the Holy Father himself was his driver!”

There’s always somebody more important than you are.

Be pleasantly surprised when you receive honors. You get the reputation of being a modest person, and people like you better for it. It’s a win-win situation. Although you can take it too far... Jimmy Carter was uncomfortable with the trappings of the Presidency, and people made fun of him for wearing cardigans and carrying his own luggage. In other words, if someone does come along and invites you up to the head table, it’s ok to go. Making a fuss about how unworthy you are is just as unbecoming as making a fuss about how worthy you are. Note that Jesus does not say to refuse the honors that are given to you; instead, he says to wait until they’re offered, and not to expect them as a right.

The great Russian playwright Anton Chekhov wrote to his younger brother in 1879 responding received a letter in which the brother had signed himself as “your insignificant and obscure little brother.” Chekhov’s answer to this false humility is classic. “Do you know,” Chekhov asked in reply, “before whom you should confess your insignificance?” He proceeded to answer his own question.

“Before God, if you will, before intelligence, beauty, nature, but not before people. Among people, you have to show your worth. After all, you’re not a crook, are you? You are an honest fellow, are you not? Well then, respect the honest fellow in yourself and recognize that the honest fellow is never insignificant. Don’t confuse “coming to terms with yourself” with “recognizing your insignificance.”

Paul says something similar in Romans 12:3: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Note that he does not say to think poorly of yourself. He tells us instead to use God’s standards rather than human standards, but to recognize that in God’s eyes each one of us has value, each one of us has a place and deserves honor. But we won’t be able to see it unless we start seeing each other from God’s perspective.