For those who are not Christians, one of the hardest things to understand is why we consider pride to be a sin. In our contemporary culture people generally use the word "pride" in a positive sense. For example, it is a good thing to take pride in your work. It means to strive for excellence. We all prefer a mechanic or carpenter or surgeon who takes pride in their craft and we encourage our young people to take pride in who they are and what they do.
We also use the word to signify a type of gratitude, for instance, to take pride in one’s country. I am proud of being an American because I recognize the achievements and benefits of my country. That pride can actually be a form of humility because whatever goodness comes from the United States has very little to do with my tiny contribution but is mostly something I have received as a gift. Pride in our country, our family, and our parish can be a form of gratitude and humility to a certain extent.
Pride in the sense of acknowledging a gift received and striving for excellence is obviously a very positive thing. However, in the Bible the word pride has a very different connotation. Pride in the scriptures is better understood as the desire to be in charge, to try and have all the answers, to put my will above the Almighty’s, and forget that I am the creature not the creator. Perhaps it would be better to use the words arrogance and vanity to make this biblical concept of pride more clear. When Christians speak of pride as the head and root of all sin, they are referring to arrogance and vanity.
It is against this sense of pride that Sirach and Jesus are fighting in today's readings. When Sirach says, "What is too sublime for you, seek not," he is not discouraging study and research, but rather a certain type of arrogance. We may have authority in one field like education or engineering, but that does not make us an expert in medicine or finance or theology. The first reading is warning us to know and acknowledge our limitations. Not only that but also suggesting the wiser we become, the more freely we will admit our limits and be humble. Arrogance and vanity are hallmarks of the foolish. Jesus goes a bit further. He tells us to take the lowest place whenever possible. While that may be difficult, it is a beautiful thing when a great person humbles themselves.
About one hundred and sixty years ago, a Scottish surgeon named Sir James Simpson made an important discovery. In 1847, Dr. Simpson was conducting experiments with chloroform. He realized that by using chloroform, doctors could perform intricate operations without causing pain to their patients. His discovery revolutionized modern medicine. Toward the end of his life, Simpson was lecturing at the University of Edinburgh. One of the students asked what he considered his most valuable discovery. The students expected him to say how he came upon the medical use of chloroform. To the surprise of the students, Dr. Simpson replied, "My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Savior.” Dr. James Simpson exemplifies the humility that today's readings describe. He is just one example of an expert who was also a humble Christian.
When you think about it, every human relationship depends on humility. A person who is arrogant and vain can never be a good spouse, a good parent or a good friend. They are so full of themselves that they have no room for anyone else. A humble person makes a place for the other person. Sirach put it this way, "conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.”
Humility is not easy to come by. Perhaps sometimes you feel like me; I want to be humble but it’s hard because I’m always right! How difficult to admit that we are sometimes wrong or, to say "maybe I am right, but my relationship to the person I disagree with is more important than proving I am right." Try to hear the words of Sirach in your ear: Conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humility makes possible a relationship with other people. It also makes possible a relationship with God. There is a saying, "maintain your sanity by keeping two things in mind: First, God exists. Second, I am not him." To have a relationship with God, we have to stop trying to be God and accept our limitations. Faith cannot happen if we are not willing to become humble and trust in the Lord’s plan for us and for the world. How can God speak to us if we only listen to His messages that fit with our plans and desires? Many times we let our craving for control get the best of us and try to do things our way, according to our wisdom. How foolish that really is! It’s like saying to God, “step aside and let me show you how things are done.” This way of thinking and living always ends in disaster.
All of us need to grow in humility to some degree. We can easily see the arrogance and vainglory of others, but we have a harder time recognizing our own. We can either submit ourselves freely to these lessons and let God teach us through prayer, service to others, and learning more about him through Church teaching and Scripture. Or we can go the hard way getting humbled by our own pride and vanity as we inevitably discover the limitations of our own abilities and knowledge. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
