Lk. 1:46-55, God Gives Grace to the Humble!

Humility is, literally, lowliness.

tapeinos: low, lowly

·       Mt 11:29: Christ is gentle & humble in heart (take my yoke upon you).  (If we want to understand humility/lowliness, the perfect picture is Jesus.  When HE said “follow Me” He was humble.  When He turned over the tables in the temple He was humble.  He is the epitome of humility.  See Phil. 2:8 below!

·       Lk 1:52: God has brot down rulers fr. thrones & exalted the humble. (These are the words of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her song of praise.  It begins with these words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”  Her “situation” was a means to magnify the Lord.  And she knew she needed the Savior, the One who through her would enter this world.)

·       Rom 12:16: don't be haughty but associate w/the lowly.  (Lowly people associate with those who are lowly in the eyes of the world.)

·       2 Co 7:6: God, who comforts the depressed (NASV) comforted us.  (Why not translate this “lowly.”  It’s same word.  “Depressed” or even “downcast” makes it sound like people with some disease.  It’s not a disease.  It is human nature.)

·       2 Co 10:1: Paul who is meek when face to face but bold when absent.  (Paul was a humble man when in Corinth.  Thus, some mistook this lowliness as being weak or even uncertain.  They accused him of only being bold when at a distance.  Men to this day misunderstand Christ in this.  They take His humility as weakness.  The fact that He died is the greatest “weakness.”  How they need the Spirit to convict them that they might know Him in truth.)

·       Jas 1:9: let bro in humble circumstances glory in his high position.

·       Jas 4:6: God opposes proud, gives grace to humble (1 Pt 5:5).  (This is the universal principle.  God does not give grace to those who treat it as if it was their strength.  He did not call many mighty but those who are humble.)

tapeinoō: lower, make low

·       Mt 18:4: whoever humbles self as this child is greatest in K (another illus.).

·       Mt 23:12ab: whoever exalts self shall be humbled; he who humbles self will be exalted (Lk 14:11ab; 18:14ab).  A universal principle.  God ALWAYS does this.

·       Lk 3:5: every mountain shall be brought low (when Christ rules!)

·       2Co 11:7: Paul preaching w/o charge humbled self so they'd be exalted

·       2 Cor 12:21: Paul fears God will humiliate him when he comes to them

·       Phil 2:8: Christ humbled self.  (The incarnation.  God humbled Himself and came to earth!)

·       Phil 4:12: Paul can get along in humble means or in prosperity

·       1 Pt 5:6: humble selves under God's mighty hand, he'll exalt in due time. Amen!