Matthew 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18:14 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Is it significant that those exalting themselves are many but the one humbling himself is singular?
Gotta be hasn't it?
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Don't know. Could it 'just' be a rhetorical device to personalise the challenge to the listener?
bit minimalist Dave!
let's have some maximalist exejesus :)
I like it, Glen!
Nice work!
Humble humans is not something that is too common...myself included.
LOL.
Rebuking myself right now.
It's interesting how Jesus fleshes the saying out in Luke 14:
8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Who is *the one* honoured by the host in the presence of *all* the fellow guests?
It's first the story of Jesus before it becomes any of our stories.
Like it. Yay for maximalism.
But you'd have to work harder than with Luke 14 to say the same thing re Luke 18. The one who humbles himself there says 'God, be propitious to me, a sinner' and is then justified.
[Of course, Christ does take the place of sinners, and in a sense he is justified too - so there's a theological point there that works, but it'd be harder to make the text about that in the first instance the way it might work so for the others]
Sorry, only *first* was supposed to be in italics. Not sure what I did wrong.
"Exejesus"! Love it.
I agree with pgjackson: Yay for maximalism!
I've been considering this question of identity in the Psalms. Who is the righteous man whose sole delight is in the Law of God, and who prospers perpetually (Ps. 1)? Who is the man who has clean hands enough to ascend the Lord's Holy Hill (Ps. 15)?
Do any of us fulfill the requirements of either of those Psalms? Hardly. lol
I'm beginning to see Jesus even here as the focus of Scripture. We've centered so much of the Word on ourselves that He often gets pushed out of view.
-h.
Pete - spoil sport
Hiram - you've got to hear Mike Reeves' sermon on Psalm 1. One of my all-time favourites:
http://www.allsouls.org/ascm/allsouls/static/sermons/showsermon.flow?id=10800
You have to make an account but it's all free.
Glen
Glen - I know, and I am sorry. It pained me writing it. I could hear the grammatico-historical-exegesis police cackling with delight as I did it.
Pete - whatever you do, don't tell them about this Exodus series. Not for my sake you understand, it's just I'm harbouring a number of fugitives.
btw you're very welcome to join the series. The second half of the book is wide open if you want to write something. Let me know if you want to join the rebel forces!
Sorely tempted. Time might be a problem, that's all. Will let you know if I'm in.