Matthew 23:12 “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This whole passage is in contradiction to our fallen human nature. On top of that, it is in violation of cultural norms in many countries. We love our titles, and are often jealous of them. It feels like Japan would grind to a halt if you couldn’t call anyone “sensei!” That is literally, “one born before,” but it is used very broadly for any sort of teacher, and even for politicians, when Jesus forbids it in verses 8 and 10. I’ve had conversations with a close friend who happens to be an Augustinian friar, about how verse 9 explicitly forbids the Catholic practice of calling priests, Father. In Japanese, the characters used specify “God father!” That doesn’t seem so shocking when you realize that Shinto priests are called “God owner,” stemming from the Shinto habit of calling anything spectacular in nature a god. All of that together is dealt with in this one verse. We like to elevate ourselves, and to be elevated by others, often explicitly putting others down in the process, and Jesus says that is self-defeating, because the ultimate result will be the opposite of what we seek. We tend to get irritated when others inflate themselves, but we make excuses, or don’t even notice it, when we do it. I think the ultimate remedy for all of this is to recognize how much greater and higher God is than we could ever possibly be, and that all human distinctions of that sort are totally meaningless in comparison. I have always liked the Japanese proverbial expression, “acorns comparing height.” It is interesting that America is the most egalitarian country in history, but even Americans often get tied in knots over titles. We all need to learn from Jesus, who, though literally the Son of God, took the lowest position possible, and didn’t defend Himself when accused.

I have always had a somewhat unique response to this situation. I grew up as an American in immediately post-WWII Japan, which put me in a special category. On top of that, my father was a university chancellor, which put me in a special category even for many people who might not have been so impressed by the color of my skin. Frankly, I made the most of that, going places and doing things that were not possible for “average” people. That fed into my pride, and on top of having a high IQ, I became incredibly conceited. The irony of that is extreme, because there’s nothing more stupid than conceit! God has had to deal with that over the years, and He has been remarkably gracious and gentle about it. It was in this very building that I finally had the deep-down revelation that God’s smart and I’m not. One good thing about all of this has been that I’ve never been intimidated by anyone’s title, or their purported position in some sort of hierarchy. I’ve become genuine friends with my own college professors, not to mention assorted politicians, and even the Archbishop of Nagasaki! I’ve learned that the person lowest in society is as important to God as the highest – and as important as I am! I seek to be God’s agent to all with whom I interact, so that they too may repent and believe God’s grace that I have found, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for using me to draw people to Yourself. It’s very exciting that one man is obviously on the brink of full commitment. I pray that You would give him courage to make that last step, becoming Your child indeed, for his eternal blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!