And he told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but
three days after he has been killed, he will rise.” The disciples, however, did not understand
these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you
discussing on the way?” But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who
was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him
be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting
his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name,
welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me, but the One who sent me.”
Reflect
The English word “humility” finds it origin in the Latin word “humus” which means “earth”
or “dirt.” We can see that origin in the common phrase used to a humble, kind person –
“down to earth.” Put simply, being humble means that we remember that God formed
human beings from the earth, instilling in them the breath of life. When we act with humility,
we remember that God is God and we are not. Jesus calls his disciples to seek a life of humble
service, not fame and power, rather than striving to be the greatest, we should strive to be like
Jesus who gave his life for us. We should model our lives on the lives of small children,
dependent on God and trusting in him to provide everything that we need. By receiving
everything we have as a gift of God, we do not fall into the trap of believing that we have
earned our good fortune, lest we be tempted to ignore those less fortunate as if they somehow
deserve less. Rather, in gratitude we place our gifts at the service of others. Amazingly, being
down to earth can bring us closer to heaven.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023