The Incarnation and the Humble Brag
You know what I’m talking about. You do something well, like getting a job promotion or making that slam dunk (metaphorically or literally) and someone says to you: “You are so talented!” or “That was amazing! How did you do that?”
I don’t know many people besides Kanye who say: “Yeah, I know I’m awesome! Credit where credit’s due: me!” The more socially acceptable thing to say is: “Oh, that? Aw shucks, thank you, but it was nothing. I’m not all that special.”
But if you’re anything like me, your inner Kanye is strutting around in his sweatpants-suit, announcing a 2020 presidential bid. It’s not always easy to spot it, but it’s there.
You want to know how to find it? Pay attention to when your hard work and effort gets little to no attention… and then someone else’s does instead. Have you ever felt that bubbling resentment that nobody acknowledged you, or that snarky, critical side that notices and nitpicks that other person’s accomplishments?
That’s anti-humility. That’s entitlement. That’s pride. And I know it’s something that lurks beneath the surface in my own heart.
In his message on Sunday, John spent some time talking about how Jesus' becoming human is something that is often difficult to understand and wrap our minds around, and I agree. How could God go from being the supreme ruler of everything to a human being, a carpenter's son, a fragile, limited being? God's incarnation in Jesus Christ goes against everything we would have expected.
In Philippians 2:7 there’s a beautiful description of Jesus’ humility: “he gave up his divine privilege; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” Not only did God become human, he became a human without status, and a human that adopted the title of “slave.” The Supreme Being who fashioned Mount Everest, dotted the universe with planets and solar systems, created DNA and genetic code, became a part of His creation as a human, and served us. The only perfect human being modeled what it was to be who we were meant to be: humble, obedient, and servant-hearted.
That may sound impossible to grasp and equally impossible to emulate. And it is if we try to do it on our own.
Thankfully, we’re not on our own. By turning our sights to Jesus, and through His work in our lives, we can become more like Him. We’re all called to worship this humble, servant-hearted God. And when we turn our adoration and love and worship from ourselves and our own efforts toward Jesus and his perfect humanity fused with perfect divinity and holiness, that prideful heart gets re-worked and re-moulded to become more like His.