11. The Gospel of Humility
Humility is a central aspect of the Christian faith and not surprisingly it is displayed in all the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. For example, although we tend to think of Matthew as the gospel of kingship – the gospel that frequently alludes to the messianic kingly role of Christ – Matthew also records many examples of humility in the lives of Jesus and others. But no other gospel focuses as clearly on the humility of the Son of God and his teachings on the subject as the book of Luke. A Life of Humility Luke alone describes the humble nature of the physical birth of Jesus – beginning with Mary's affirmation of her humble state (Luke 1:48, 52), and the details of Jesus' birth that underscore the relative poverty of his parents (Luke 2:24, etc.). Like Matthew, Luke tells us that Jesus had no fixed home (Luke 9:58), but alone among the gospels Luke tells us that Jesus' ministry was only possible because of the support of others who were better off (Luke 8:1–3).
Luke also stresses how Jesus lived a life of spiritual humility, and this is frequently seen not only in the Evangelist's words about Jesus himself (Luke 22:27; etc.), but also in his accounts of Jesus' interaction with others.
Examples of Humility Perhaps the greatest example of humility – other than in the life of Jesus – that is found in the gospels and in the entire Bible is seen in the story of the centurion who implored Jesus to heal his servant. Only Matthew and Luke record this story (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10), but Luke's additional details are informative. In addition to the great humility of the Roman officer who declared "I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you" (Luke 7:6–7), this story also shows the humility of Jesus – not only in his willingness to go to the sick rather than having them brought to him, but also because Luke tells us the sick man was not an important servant, but simply a lowly slave (doulos). In similar ways, Luke provides us with many examples of humility in action. Teachings on Humility Luke also shows us Jesus emphasized that the defining character of his disciples was to be humility. While Matthew records Jesus' words "those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12), Luke gives this same teaching not once, but twice (Luke 14:11; 18:14) showing its importance for Luke's presentation of Jesus' teaching.
Some of Jesus' most memorable teachings on humility are also recorded in Luke. Early in his gospel, Luke tells how the disciples argued as to which of them would be the greatest, and how Jesus said "it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest" (Luke 9:46–50). Importantly, Luke shows that late in Jesus' ministry the disciples were still arguing in this way and Jesus retaught them in even more detail:
The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them … But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves … I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:24–27) Luke also records Jesus' instruction to those who picked the places of honor at a banquet – "all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke14:7–11). And to those who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to teach the same lesson: "all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:9–14).
A Gospel of Humility
In both the teachings of Jesus he records, and in examples drawn from Jesus' ministry, Luke focuses on humility more frequently than any other gospel – or any other book in the New Testament. And many of the clearest teachings on humility that Luke records actually do not mention humility directly, but show how this quality affects every aspect of our Christian lives. For example, in Luke 17, although the words "humble" and "humility" appear nowhere in the chapter, the concept underlies a great deal of what Luke tells us.
So it is worth remembering – it is to Luke that we should turn if we want a handbook of practical and applied humility, and we will also see much more in this gospel if we remember that even when it is not obviously focusing on this quality, Luke is the "Gospel of Humility."