Confidence and Humility

John 5:1-18

Confidence and Humility

“Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’  At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now, that day was the Sabbath…”  John 5:8-9 (NRSV)

There are countless stories of Jesus healing the sick and the crippled, and even some of him raising others from the dead. This story, however, is different, mainly because Jesus gets attention for healing a man on the Sabbath, the Jews' traditional day of rest. Later on in the passage, John writes that Jesus says that his father is still working, and so he is working too.

It's fairly evident from this passage just how confident he was, but also how humble. Jesus was blessed with, among other things, a sense of clarity, a brilliant moral compass. We see Jesus' confidence in everything he does, from his healings to his teachings, and we also see his humility. Jesus is the son of God--why should he deign to help the lepers, heal the sick, or wash the feet of his followers? Because he is God's son, the everlasting symbol of forgiveness and healing.

There is something to be said for someone who could remain so confident and yet so humble so much of the time--maybe if we were able to step back and see ourselves for who we are, we could find some of his humility.

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Dear Lord, help us to find our comfort in you. Be with us as we strive to find our confidence in life and our humility in all things we do. Amen.

Hannah Ruth Wellons