The Qualities of a Christian Life
Part 1: Humble yet Happy
There’s a story that comes out of New York City. New York has over 11 million cats and 8 million dogs. The city is itself a jungle of concrete and steel. There’s no room to bury a pet. So, one enterprising lady decided that she could render a helpful service. She placed an ad in the newspaper that said, “When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the carcass for you for $25.” Then, this lady would go to the local Salvation Army and buy an old suitcase for $2. When someone called about his or her pet, she would go to the home and put the deceased animal in the suitcase. She then would take a ride on the subway, where thieves like to prey. She would set the suitcase down and act like she wasn’t watching. She’d look up and say, “Wait. Stop, thief!” My guess is that the people who stole the suitcases were a tad bit surprised when they got home.
I think a lot of us are not unlike those subway thieves. We chase after happiness. We grab what we think will make us happy. Yet, when we get the very thing we’re pursuing, it doesn’t quite deliver.
Matthew 5:3-12 focuses on what is commonly called the Beatitudes. Each Beatitude begins with the word blessed. In Greek, to be blessed means to be happy or blissful. The American definition of happiness though has become watered down. Our understanding of happiness has evolved today to mean feeling good or enjoying certain pleasures or being the recipient of fortunate circumstances (like winning the lottery). The problem with these pathways to happiness is that they are temporary. Happiness can go as quickly as it comes. For Jesus, however, happiness is more persistent. Happiness is a gift from God that, once acquired, can never be taken away.
Jesus begins the Beatitudes in verse 3 by saying, “Blessed are the poor…” (Matthew 5:3, NRSV). You know, those of us who grew up poor, tend to romanticize the experience. We fondly recall those days gone by. The funny thing is I’ve never heard anyone say that they enjoy poverty so much that they’d be glad to give up everything they have now. The truth is poverty isn’t pretty. Poverty is something we choose to escape rather than embrace. So, why would Jesus say “How happy are the poor…”(JB)? Happiness and poverty seem so distantly removed from one another. How can anyone be both happy and poor at the same time? This is especially true when you look at the Greek word for poor. For the Greeks, to be poor literally means to crouch or to cower. In other words, we’re talking about a kind of poverty that has beaten a person down—a person who is absolutely destitute. How can such person be happy?
Well, recall that we’re not just talking about any kind of poverty. Jesus is specifically describing those who are “poor in spirit.” In this case, poverty is more a spiritual condition of humility. Now, it may be a kind of humility that has been forced upon you by circumstance. Perhaps you grew up or you are currently living under very humbling conditions—not because you want to but because you have no choice. Then, there are those who live in humility not because they have to, but because they choose to. Regardless of which path of humility you follow, the result is the same. You have no control. Whether you choose to give up control or that choice is made for you, the absence of control is what poverty of spirit (humility) is all about. Decisions are made for you. You have limited say in how to live your life. You are at the beck and call of other people or life’s circumstances. Given these limitations, it seems ironic that Jesus would claim humility as a pathway to happiness.
In 2003, I traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti with a mission team. I encountered a professor from local university who said, “Pastor, in my estimation, you Americans are the ones in poverty. You have access to many of the material blessings in life yet are still unhappy. Your young people are dying from drug overdose. Many cannot function without anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications. However, in Haiti you will find little material wealth yet many are happy. Our people continue to smile and our children play regardless of the difficult conditions in which we live.”
I recognized quickly how spot on the professor’s observation is. It finally dawned on me that the greatest obstacle to our nation’s happiness is not so much a function of greed as it is our pride. Pride is collectively impoverishing America.
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told a parable which involves a Pharisee and a tax collector. Both men go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands by himself and thanks God that he is “not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). In contrast, the tax collector cannot even look up to face God. Instead, he beats his chest and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Jesus concludes this parable by observing that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, is the only one who went home justified that day.
The whole parable is introduced in Luke 18:9 by directing it to those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt” (NRSV). Jesus made it clear that those who trust in their own righteousness have a great difficult cultivating a humble spirit. In fact, they feel that they are so rich in righteousness that they actually have contempt for others who don’t quite live up to their standards.
Now, in a sense, the Pharisee’s approach would appear to be the best course of action. I mean surely God would require that we possess extraordinary riches in order to enter His kingdom. I’m talking, of course, about the riches of spirit.
However, before you reach such a conclusion, it’s important to recall the very first thing Jesus said when he began his ministry on earth. Jesus announced the kingdom with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:1-2). Strictly speaking, repentance is a declaration of poverty. When you and I repent, we tell God that what we have been doing is wrong—that our character is impoverished. Now, I realize this isn’t an elegant approach to take. When we try and gain entrance into most things we bring with us our best qualifications—our highest ACT scores, our most polished resumes, our most attractive vitas. So, especially as we seek entrance into God’s presence it seems reasonable that we would be asked to show how many good deeds we’ve done, how faithful we are to worship, how much we give to the church. Instead, Jesus claims that the key to entering his Father’s kingdom is simply our confession of spiritual poverty. There’s an old hymn in the church that sings: “Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace” (Rock of Ages).
Yet, combined with the virtue of humility is an act of profession that declares one’s dependence upon God. For example, when Moses was commanded by God to lead the people of Israel out of captivity, Moses initially declined. He claimed, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:11, NRSV)? What Moses really meant is that he wasn’t capable. He had a speech impediment. He lacked confidence. As a leader he was rusty. He’d been out of the business of leading people for forty years. But, God never relented. God insisted that Moses was His man by saying, “I will be with you . . .” (Exodus 3:12, NRSV). Translation: “I will do for you (and through you) what you are incapable of doing yourself if only you depend upon me.”
One of the reasons why I am a proponent of Alcoholics Anonymous is because of AA’s declaration of dependence upon God for sobriety and healing. Step three of the Twelve Step program states, “We made a conscious decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.” I’m convinced that this is a profession each of us must make regardless of the struggles we face. We admit that there is no way we can make it on our own. Furthermore, the blueprint for happiness calls every Christian to rely upon Jesus one day at a time, one decision at a time, one act of faith at a time.
Several years ago, my father traveled to the Holy Land. Upon visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Dad told me of an experience he had. The place where Jesus is believed by many to have been born is located in a small grotto. In order to look into the grotto, one must kneel. Dad said that as he knelt before the grotto, he sensed a warmth that blanketed his heart. Then, the thought occurred to him that the only way any of us can truly see, feel, and experience the joy and happiness that only Jesus can give is to be bowed in humility before him.
Prayer:
Lord God, I have searched in many places to discover the secret to authentic happiness yet each time I have come away feeling disappointed. Even now, I pursue a life of pleasure that leaves me wanting. Please redirect my focus. Grant me the grace to set my sights on the One Person who can fill my life with joy. Incline my heart that I may bow to your will in all things knowing that you know what is best for me. Through the blessed name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.