1 In this module we are going to consider HUMILITY - what it means, how it can affect your behaviour and the behaviour of others. First of all what does the word Humility mean? Humility is an attitude or quality of mind, which is well pleasing to God. A person who is humble shows modesty, meekness and has an unassuming nature, putting the interests of others before his or her own. Only when we realise our own sinfulness, and our need of God s forgiveness, can we truly attain humility. What does the Bible say about humility? The first letter of Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 2 verses 3 & 4 tells us: Don t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another s interests, not just for your own. Does the Bible give us any examples of humility? The Bible shows us many examples of humility. For example, in Luke s Gospel we will read about Jesus teaching on humility in the story of the visitors to the feast. Also we ll look at what Jesus taught about childlike faith and humility in Matthew s Gospel. Finally, we will consider what examples Jesus showed on humility, when in Matthew s Gospel Chapter 21, we read how He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and then in John s Gospel Chapter 13 how He washed the disciples feet. If Jesus showed such humility, then we should copy His example. Jesus teaches humility (You can find this story in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses 7-11) Here are some interesting facts about this story: 1. Jesus noticed how some of the guests were choosing the best places, so he told this parable to all of them: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place. It could happen that someone more important than you has been invited, and your host, who
2 invited both of you, would have to come and say to you, Let him have this place. Then you would be embarrassed and have to sit in the lowest place. 2. Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that your host will come to you and say, Come on up, my friend, to a better place. This will bring you honour in the presence of all the other guests. 3. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great. True humility is not having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. A humble person makes a realistic assessment of himself without illusion or pretence to be something he is not. True humility frees us to be ourselves and to avoid despair and pride. A humble person does not have to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others who do not know who he really is. He is not swayed by fame, reputation, success, or failure. St Paul gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ who, emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,...who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:7-8). The Lord gives grace to those who seek Him humbly. Do you want to be a servant as Jesus served? Activity Create a calendar from a large piece of paper divided into seven sections, one for each day. Head the calendar with the words, I can be humble today by Ask the children to think about the things they will be doing each day of the next week and ask them to think of ways in which they can show humility. Examples of humility may include helping someone learn something new, holding open a door for someone or saying "thank you". Jesus brings a child in the midst (You can find this story in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 1-4) Here are some interesting facts about this story:
3 1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven? 2. So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them and said, I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. In Jesus day children were relatively ignored and not deemed important as they are today. So when He took a little child and brought it into the midst, He was teaching His followers a very important truth. Our Heavenly Father can see into our hearts; our very nature. He knows why we do things and what motivates us. Sometimes it might be false pride or ambition. It doesn t matter if we are rich or poor, where we come from, the colour of our skin or how old we are. What is really important to Him is our humble and thankful hearts for all He has done for us. Activity Cut a large star out of yellow or gold cardboard and put string through one of the points of the star so that it can be placed around a child's neck. Explain that wearing the yellow star represents being prideful and boastful. Then, take off the yellow star and give the child a small star sticker to wear and explain that the smaller star represents being humble. Go round the group and get each child to provide examples of when they have been boastful in the past and discuss with them how they can react more humbly in the future. Give each child a small star sticker to wear when they have done that successfully. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey (You can find this story in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21 verses 1 11) Here are some interesting facts about this passage of Scripture: 1. As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. 2. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead with these instructions: Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them
4 to me. And if anyone says anything, tell him, The Master needs them and then he will let them go at once. 3. This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said: Tell the city of Zion, look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 4. So the disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do: they brought the donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on. 5. A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God! 6. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. Who is he? the people asked. This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee, the crowds answered. It is interesting to note that this event was foretold in the book of Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9. The people of Israel had waited a long time for a Messiah. Even though this event had been foretold, they did not expect their Messiah to be born in a stable or to ride triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey. Although the crowds shouted Hosanna in great excitement, how soon their shouts would turn to cries of crucify. The human heart can be very fickle and can be swayed this way and that by the evil intentions of others. Jesus was indeed the King of Kings and deserved a royal welcome, but He became a servant and obedient to death in order that His sacrifice would be sufficient to cleanse us from all our sin and make us blameless before His Father in Heaven. Jesus humbled Himself for our sake. Therefore, we have no right or justification to be anything but humble before Him and other people. Personal testimony Share about a time when you either chose humility or a time that you were arrogant and self-centred. Regardless of your choice, what were the circumstances that caused it to be difficult to be humble, and share the natural consequences that ensued. Ask the children if they have ever been in a position where choosing humility was a challenge. As a group
5 discuss how they can choose humility even if it s a difficult choice to make. Jesus washes His disciples feet (You can find this story in the Gospel of John, Chapter 13 verses 1 17) Here are some interesting facts about this passage of Scripture: 1. It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end. 2. Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. 3. So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. 4. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Are you going to wash my feet, Lord? Jesus answered him, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later. Peter declared, Never at any time will you wash my feet! If I do not wash your feet, Jesus answered, you will no longer be my disciple. Simon Peter answered, Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too! 5. Jesus said, Those who have taken a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet. All of you are clean all except one. (Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, All of you, except one, are clean. ) 6. After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. Do you understand what I have just done to you? he asked. You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you.
6 7. I am telling you the truth: no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them. Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice! In the beginning of this chapter Jesus is having dinner with his disciples. The supper had already begun when Jesus rose from the table and began washing the disciples' feet. Then Peter objects, saying that he is unworthy to have his feet washed by Jesus. He says this because typically this act is carried out by a slave or servant. Traditionally, the task of washing feet was reserved for Gentile slaves, for wives, and for children. Jewish men were not required to do so. The only exception was when disciples washed the feet of their rabbis. The disciples' obvious bewilderment is then coupled with a powerful teaching from Jesus showing them that this is what He is going to do for the world, and that His disciples should follow his example. In carrying out this act Jesus is taking the responsibility of a slave of all before He can present His life as a ransom for many. Furthermore, He is setting an example to His disciples so that they may learn from Him and serve one another. It is also important to note why Jesus took this particular opportunity to wash His disciples feet, as He must have eaten with them on many occasions before. It was the day before the Feast of the Passover, a special occasion for Jews when they remembered how God had delivered them from slavery under the hands of the Egyptians. Secondly, Jesus knew that His ministry on earth was coming to an end and that He faced His ultimate challenge before returning to His Father in Heaven. His death on the cross represented a once and for all deliverance from sin and death, so that as followers of Jesus we too, like those early disciples, have assurance of sins forgiven and true deliverance from the slavery of sin. Here is an up-to-date story about humility Mr Gupta was a very important man. He was very rich and owned the local factory which made fast cars. He thought of himself as a self-made man who had gained his wealth by working hard and spending all his time making plans to increase his wealth still further. He had a family, but they rarely saw him. He was at the factory every day and made sure his workers worked very hard for
7 the wages he paid them. His workers sometimes looked at him with envy, wishing they had some of his wealth, but no one really liked him, as he was very proud and full of his own importance. It was a great shame that his family rarely saw him. His wife had hoped that once they were married he would want to spend more time with her, but he didn t seem to have enough time. As each of their children came along, his wife hoped that he would take more interest in them, but that didn t happen. Sadly the more money Mr Gupta made, the more important he felt about himself, until it got to the point that no one else was ever right except him. One day Mr Gupta s world changed forever. He was driving into work early one morning when the brakes on his car failed. He always drove quite fast, expecting everyone else to get out of his way. No matter how hard he pressed them, the brakes just didn t work. He tried his best to steer around the sharp bends, but as the car started to wind down the hill he lost control and hit a tree, bringing the car to a halt with a loud bang. Smoke poured out of the engine. The impact had caused Mr Gupta to bang his head very badly, knocking him out. Within seconds the car started to catch fire. The smoke made Mr Gupta cough and as he regained consciousness he began to panic. I must get out of here, he said to himself. But try as hard as he might, his feet were trapped under the pedals and he couldn t move. In the moment Mr Gupta thought he was going to die for sure. Help me, please help me, he shouted. But he couldn t see anyone at all. At that moment, round the bend came a van full of workers from the factory. They couldn t believe their eyes as they approached the burning car. Hey isn t that Mr Gupta s car? said one of them. I m not sure, but whoever is in there will be burnt alive if we don t help them right away, said another. With that, the men piled out of the van and ran to the burning car. By this time the car was almost engulfed in flames. The men shielded their eyes from the flames. What can we do? shouted one of the men. It s too hot to get anywhere near the doors. We ll have to smash the windows with rocks and hope we can get to Mr Gupta inside. Each of the men found a large stone and threw them just hard enough at the windows of the car to
8 smash them without causing further injury to the driver inside. Eventually the windows gave way and they could hear Mr Gupta yelling to them. Without a thought for their own safety, two of the men covered their arms with coats dowsed with water and managed to grab Mr Gupta s arms and pull him free. The men could see that he was badly injured and inhaling the smoke had made it difficult for him to breathe. They laid him in the back of the van and drove him quickly to the hospital. As soon as they arrived at the hospital they carried Mr Gupta into the emergency department and tried to get help. The men were surprised how busy the hospital was. Every chair in the waiting room was taken and nurses and doctors were busy treating people with every kind of problem. Mr Gupta felt really awful. He was sure that he had at least one broken foot and his lungs felt as if they were burnt inside. Every breath he took was really painful. I need to see a doctor right away, he gasped at the men. We re trying to get someone to see you right away, one of the men said, but there has been an explosion at the local mine and there are so many sick and injured people needing help. Tell them who I am, Mr Gupta yelled. When they know it s me, they will come I know. But Mr Gupta was wrong. In the hospital, patients were treated according to the severity of their condition, not on their status. As the minutes ticked on, Mr Gupta got more and more angry. How could he be left in this state while others less important than himself were being treated? He could have died, surely they should realise that. After what seemed a long while, a doctor came to Mr Gupta and checked him over. By this time Mr Gupta s anger had turned into fear and anguish. He had come very close to losing his life. If it hadn t been for these men, he would surely have died. After the doctor s initial examination, Mr Gupta was given oxygen to help with his breathing and sent to the x-ray department to check if his foot was broken. The men stayed at the hospital until such time as a doctor told them Mr Gupta was being admitted and was likely to have to stay in hospital for the next few days. Afterwards they went straight to Mr Gupta s home to tell his wife what had happened.
9 As Mr Gupta lay in hospital he began to take stock of his life. Here he was a self-made man with plenty of money, but that hadn t helped him one bit when he needed help the most. It was his own workers who had saved him. The very men who he paid low wages to and expected them to work long hours too with little reward. These men, however, had shown him kindness and had rescued him from certain death. What if he had died? thought Mr Gupta. If God asked him what he had done with his life, would God be impressed by what he said or what he had done? He remembered what his children had learned one week in Sunday school. They had been learning verses from the Bible and he could remember one of them being about humbling yourself before God. Up until then Mr Gupta had felt almost as important as God himself, but now he realised he was just another man like everyone else. What a mess he had made of his life. All the really important things, like his wife and children had taken second place to his driving ambition. Well that was going to change right now. Mr Gupta believed in his heart that God had given him a second chance to put his life right and he would start to do it right away. As soon as he was discharged from hospital Mr Gupta told his family how things were going to change. They couldn t believe their ears and they were so thrilled. Mr Gupta also decided that he needed to share out his wealth and to give money to where it was badly needed. So he made a huge donation to the hospital, where they were able to extend the building and recruit more doctors and nurses to help the sick and injured. As for the men who had saved his life, he wanted to given them something too. Although the men were quite poor, they wanted Mr Gupta to use the money he wanted to give them in a more worthwhile way. They asked him to consider making changes to the factory which would allow all the men to work less hours and work in better conditions. Mr Gupta agreed. He was amazed how humble his workers were. They could have asked for money for themselves, but they put the interests of all the workers in the factory ahead of their own. Mr Gupta began to notice how humble some people were. Being humble actually made you feel happier inside, especially when you could help others. Mr Gupta never forgot the day of his accident and how it had changed his life forever. He was so grateful to God for giving him a second chance with his life and he was more determined than ever to make God proud of him!
10 Prayer Time Pray with the children that God will help them to be humble and choose to honour Him through living a humble and thankful life serving others. Activity On a large piece of paper, draw a stick figure or outline of a person. Label the figure Mr or Miss Arrogant. Draw on clothing or accessories to represent arrogance, such as a crown, a badge saying: "I'm Number One" or a shirt that says: "I Rock" or "I'm not stupid." Draw thought bubbles around the figure and fill them with suggestions from the children about what an arrogant person would say. Children may include phrases such as, "I'm better than you" or "Ha ha. I won!" Now ask the children to draw a stick figure labelled Mr or Miss Humble and ask them to draw on clothing they would wear and include thought bubbles for them. Activity BREAK THE CODE Copy this code out on a large piece of paper or on a blackboard. Explain to the children that each number represents a letter of the alphabet. By cross-referencing each number to a letter you can decipher the missing word. Can you break the code? Here is the key to the code: A O Q E X L V D W I S H K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 F N P B U Z C M R T G Y J 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 What does the missing word say????????? 12 18 21 10 6 10 23 25
11 TEACHING NOTES TO ACCOMPANY THE MODULE ON HUMILITY These notes are to be used in conjunction with the teaching module on Humility. The Bible stories used in this module are from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 14 verses 7 to 11 where we read about Jesus teaching on humility in the story of the visitors to the feast. Also we ll look at what Jesus taught about childlike faith and humility in Matthew s Gospel Chapter 18 verses 1 to 4. Finally, we will consider what examples Jesus showed on humility, when in Matthew s Gospel Chapter 21, we read how He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and then in John s Gospel Chapter 13 how He washed the disciples feet. If Jesus showed such humility, then we should copy His example. You will need to make a large calendar out of cardboard. Also, you will need to make a large yellow star on a string, and a number of small yellow star stickers. On another piece of card you should draw stick people. Finally, copy the code onto card too. Provide the children with pencils and crayons to decorate the stick people. Jesus teaches humility True humility is not having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. A humble person makes a realistic assessment of himself without illusion or pretence to be something he is not. True humility frees us to be ourselves and to avoid despair and pride. A humble person does not have to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others who do not know who he really is. He is not swayed by fame, reputation, success, or failure. St Paul gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ,who, emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,...who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:7-8) The Lord gives grace to those who seek Him humbly. Do you want to be a servant as Jesus served? Jesus brings a child in the midst In Jesus day children were relatively ignored and not deemed important as they are today. So when He took a little child and brought it into the midst, He was teaching His followers a very important truth. Our
12 Heavenly Father can see into our hearts; our very nature. He knows why we do things and what motivates us. Sometimes it might be false pride or ambition. It doesn t matter if we are rich or poor, where we come from, the colour of our skin or how old we are. What is really important to Him is our humble and thankful hearts for all He has done for us. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey It is interesting to note that this event was foretold in the book of Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9. The people of Israel had waited a long time for a Messiah. Even though this event had been foretold, they did not expect their Messiah to be born in a stable or to ride triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey. Although the crowds shouted Hosanna in great excitement, how soon their shouts would turn to cries of crucify. The human heart can be very fickle and can be swayed this way and that by the evil intentions of others. Jesus was indeed the King of Kings and deserved a royal welcome, but He became a servant and obedient to death in order that His sacrifice would be sufficient to cleanse us from all our sin and make us blameless before His Father in Heaven. Jesus humbled Himself for our sake. Therefore, we have no right or justification to be anything but humble before Him and other people. Jesus washes His disciples feet In the beginning of this chapter Jesus is having dinner with his disciples. The supper had already begun when Jesus rose from the table and began washing the disciples' feet. Then Peter objects, saying that he is unworthy to have his feet washed by Jesus. He says this because typically this act is carried out by a slave or servant. Traditionally, the task of washing feet was reserved for Gentile slaves, for wives, and for children. Jewish men were not required to do so. The only exception was when disciples washed the feet of their rabbis. The disciples' obvious bewilderment is then coupled with a powerful teaching from Jesus showing them that this is what He is going to do for the world, and that His disciples should follow his example. In carrying out this act Jesus is taking the responsibility of a slave of all before He can present His life as a ransom for many. Furthermore, He is setting an example to His disciples so that they may learn from Him and serve one another. It is also important to note why Jesus took this particular opportunity to wash His disciples feet, as He must have eaten with them on many occasions before. It was the day before the Feast of the Passover, a
13 special occasion for Jews when they remembered how God had delivered them from slavery under the hands of the Egyptians. Secondly, Jesus knew that His ministry on earth was coming to an end and that He faced His ultimate challenge before returning to His Father in Heaven. His death on the cross represented a once and for all deliverance from sin and death, so that as followers of Jesus we too, like those early disciples, have assurance of sins forgiven and true deliverance from the slavery of sin. Conclusion Only when we truly understand the magnitude of God s love in sending His only Son to live amongst us and to be triumphant over sin and death, can we begin to understand why humility is such an important trait of a real Christian. We live in a world where people strive after money, fame and possessions, none of which brings them lasting pleasure. Only in accepting His love and living our lives as His humble servants can we really experience true riches and happiness beyond measure and which last forever.