Faith Daily | 29 October 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p593

Almighty and everlasting God,

give to us the increase of faith, hope and love;

and, that we may obtain what you promise,

make us to love what you command;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 14: 1-11

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” 4But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” 6And they could not reply to this.

7When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Jane Markotsis

What is true humility and why should we make it a characteristic mark of our Christian life? True humility is not feeling bad about yourself, or having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves, whereas a low self-opinion tends to focus our attention on ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves truthfully, with sober judgment, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us.

Most of us detest self-promotion when we see it in someone else. However, each of us, at times, has a strange ability to find "reasons" why we "need" to promote ourselves. Jesus wants us to give up on our self-promoting ways. He calls us to be humble and then let God do the exalting. We shouldn't be surprised when the apostle Paul held Jesus up as the perfect example of humility — Jesus didn't cling to position, emptied himself of self-promotion, and was obedient to God, and God exalted him at the proper time (Philippians 2:5-11). Pride is destructive, selfish, and toxic to Christian service and maturity.

The Kingdom of God is all about finding our identity in the one who knows us best. It is about letting our identity be formed and shaped by God to be exactly what he wants us to be and to do exactly what he wants us to do.

Come to Jesus just as you are, but don't expect to call the shots in regard to who you are going to be. Let him transform you into exactly who you are supposed to be and who you are created to be. He can't go wrong.

FINAL PRAYER

Gracious God, We pray for the heart position of humility.

Humility in such a way that we do not cheapen

our own worth or value within, but that we take

the alignment that we are here for a greater

purpose than just our own gain.

We pray that you will highlight to us

what it truly means to live a humble life,

and that our own worth will be revealed by your Light.

It is only then that we may truly live in freedom

and right standing, for we will hold our own value correctly.

Lord, we welcome you to mould and secure our hearts

in true humility by your lead. In Jesus name.

Amen.