The Worthy Heart I ~ Is Humble

St. Matthew 18:1-11 (8/11) Gospel for Monday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost The Worthy Heart I ~ Is Humble: St. Matthew 18:1-11, especially vs. 1: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'" To answer His disciples' question, the Lord Jesus places a young child before us as an "icon" of humility, to illumine that single characteristic of a heart that makes it worthy to be held in highest honor in Kingdom of Heaven (vs. 4). Our Lord's point is identical to His teaching in the first of His Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt. 5:3). Consider why the Lord Jesus places humility among qualities of heart worthy of first honor in His Kingdom. St. Maximos the Confessor explains: "the highest of all blessings [is] humility that conserves other blessings and destroys their opposites." The humble heart nurtures everything in the heart characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, even to become a disciple - a beginner in the Life in Christ - one must be "converted" to humility (Mt. 18:3). Christ-like humility must be our goal, or we are not even on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. Since a humble heart is the prime goal of every disciple, the question arises: how does one gain genuine humility? The Blessed Motivator for achieving a humble heart is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, of course. He embodies humility. Examine our Lord's humility and discover His ineffable, Divine condescension. His humility draws you to Him. It awes and then it transforms: could my personal and social activities become that pure? As we are able to receive the Lord Himself (vs. 5), we become humble like a little child (vs. 4). In revealing the priceless value of humility, our Savior and Lord graciously prompts us to address all others from a humble heart, but do not be idealistic about acquiring such a heart. Yes, we are drawn to humility, but let us expect a battle in our souls, for the cost of being humble on Christ's terms rapidly emerges as an all-out fight against self-service, pride, and vainglory. The humility that we see incarnate in Christ our God, becomes for us a lifelong task of "putting to death" our carelessness, pride, arrogance, selfishness and self-indulgence. Still, if we do not try to humble ourselves, we surely offend God, and then, woe to us (vs. 7)! We would be better off to have "...a millstone were hung around [our] neck, and [we] were drowned in the depth of the sea" (vs. 6). Behold the humble heart become each one's cross to take up in following Christ. Let us remember that true Life only comes through dying: "...unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (Jn. 12:24). The Lord uses hyperbole (Mt. 18: 8,9) to encourage us in the effort never to contribute to the fall of others through carelessness, pride, arrogance, selfishness and self-indulgence. This is His point in the command to cut off even our hand, our foot, our eye, or whatever may lead us to abandon the quest for a humble heart. For if our negative habits of heart remain unchecked, because we give them free reign, they will destroy every semblance of humility within us. Yes, let us struggle against these sins that we may be blessed with a tiny bit of life from Christ, one grain of humility of heart; for, if we refuse, we choose "...to be cast into hell fire" (vs. 9). Do not despair: the boastful fisherman, Peter, became a humble Apostle; and the self-assured persecutor, Saul, became the Apostle Paul, first among sinners. Christ came "...to save that which was lost" (vs. 11), He will not abandon us in our struggle to gain a humble heart! Thou rememberest not how I angered Thee, but foreseeing humility, lamentation and a sincere disposition, Thou does proclaim: 'Take out the best garment, kill the fatted calf and let us be consoled and make merry!' May Thine angels, O Master, also gather and rejoice for me, Thy son who was lost and who has been found. (from St. Ephraim the Syrian)