MEEK AND HUMBLE

Ex 3:!3-20; PS 105 The Lord remembers his covenant for ever; Matt 11:28-30

When one thinks of attributes of greatness, what comes to mind?

What image of greatness begins to take shape in our conceptual reality?

What does a person of greatness possess that sets him or her apart from the rest of us, the rest of society, the rest of history as it unfolds?

Take a few moments...

After you flip through all the qualities of greatness you have seen in others or  you would expect to see in others then recall the words of Jesus in today's gospel, "...learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart..."


Meek and Humble.

Were these part of the list of greatness?

Let's look at that for a moment.

To be humble, means literally to be grounded or better it means lowly dirt.    Is there anything more real than dirt.  A humble person is one who is grounded in reality, the way things are, not the way he or she might imagine them to be.

Grounded in reality is certainly a necessary quality of greatness.

The humble person has the ability of right appraisal of his or herself as well as the surroundings around them, never losing sight of reality.   This right appraisal is a lot like dirt in the sense that from it life begins to blossom.

Meekness is often considered be a quality tied to passivity or inactivity, one who goes around shy and disengaged, but this is not correct.

Moses was considered the meekest person on earth (Num 12:3) and yet he went toe to toe with Pharaoh.  Meekness is a gentle goodness that wisely knows when to act and how to act.

There is quiet confidence that emanates from the person who is meek.

We don't have to be loud or be one who seeks attention, but we do need to be ready and willing to step it up when it is the right time.

Gentle goodness that is ready and willingly to take a stand for goodness itself.

Meek and Humble.

Lastly, lets look at the Name of God.

Sounds pretty frighting doesn't it: The NAME Of GOD.  I think it needs to be all in capital letters to get the effect right.

I AM WHO AM is the translation we get in today's first reading from Exodus.

But a more accurate translation might be I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.  God's name is a verb of promise.  God promises to be who ever the chosen people need him to be in order to lead them to freedom.  This is important.  God's focus is our freedom to live and to love as He is free and love himself.

God eternally commits himself to be who he will be that we may experience freedom has he desires it, as we are created for it, not as we often misinterpret it.