Humility 1

Luke 11:47-51

While doing research of our previous church in preparation for their centennial celebration I gathered all manner of photographs and documents about the church’s history. It was fascinating to see all the changes which had occurred and look at all the people who had been part of its growth. Then one of the members told me that our church had for several years been host to meetings for the Ku Klux Klan. It was a shocking revelation, one which I would like to have erased. But there it was.

Jesus continues in his list of woes against the religious leaders of his time. What have they done? What is God’s attitude toward them?

Christian congregations have a rich history that traces back to Christ and his disciples. We were birthed from the earliest meetings of faithful believers, and “The Church” was further nurtured by the faithfulness and good works of tremendous men and women. The church grew and expanded with hard work and ministry, and continued in spite of the death and persecution of its martyrs.

Each individual church has its own history, usually filled with stories of sacrifice and goodness. Most members can recall the stories of ministry and outreaches from years past. And this is something that can give us all pride in where we are.

But there is always the possibility (and probability) that there were times when mistakes were made. There is likely some errors in judgment and simply wrong-doing intermingled in our pasts.

Jesus points out the fallacy of being too proud of all that has been done. The priests and teachers and Pharisees should have been aware that the leaders of the faith have not always been perfect.

Jesus concludes with the statement that “this generation will be held responsible for it all.” But before we get weighed down by the guilt of the past, we may want to consider what could be inferred from this comment. Rather than our responsibility becoming just guilt, the responsibility may be that it is up to us to be certain we correct any past mistakes – if possible – and be certain we work to avoid those mistakes.

The pride we have as believers must be mixed with a strong sense of humility. And that humility can guide us in making wiser, more informed, more merciful and positive decisions in the future.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What mistake has your church learned from?