Numbers 10:1-11:23 Mark 14:1-21 Psalm 51:1-19 Proverbs 10:31-32
It's basketball season. For me, that means following the Dallas Mavericks. Ever since I met my sweet wife of 10 years, she has been getting free Mavericks' tickets and taking me to games! Go Anita!! I used to love to watch Steve Nash, now I keep my eye on Jason Kidd. Both of them have been great at getting the ball to my favorite player, Dirk Nowitzki. Nash and Kidd are point guards. Their positions are all about serving the team, passing the ball at the right time, making their own incredible shots when need be, getting rebounds, setting up plays, getting the team to run the coaches plays with excellence. In humility, point guards want all of their teammates to be fantastic scorers. However, they do not let humility get in the way of being fantastic scorers themselves, sometimes even becoming the top scorers in a game--particularly by making those stunning far away three-point shots. In basketball terminology, great point guards are great at getting "triple-doubles." That means in a single game they will make double digits in points, assists and rebounds. They are team leaders--serving the whole team.
What do point guards have to do with following Jesus? Well, point guards epitomize some key characteristics of humility in contrast to the sin of pride. One of the proverbs for today is: "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2). Let's look at Moses. If Moses had played basketball, he would have been a point guard. Moses is one of the Bible's greatest heroes of humility. In fact, the Word says, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). Notice in the reading today what happened when Joshua asked Moses to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying. In humility, Moses said "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Numbers 11:29). Moses did not care about competition from his people, he wanted people to receive God's Spirit and serve God as His prophets. The wisdom that comes from humility is one where the greatest leader, the one most serving God, wishes that all the people of God would hear from God and speak God's words to other people. That kind of humility is like a point guard getting his teammates the ball and hoping everyone on the team makes every shot they take.
In contrast to Moses' humility, we see today the pride of Moses' own right-hand man and his sister. Miriam and Aaron were jealous of Moses. Yes, jealous of the man who wished that all would serve the Lord by His Spirit and prophesy! They were not interested in humble service, they wanted to be heard and their jealousy got the best of them when they asked, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" (Numbers 12:1-2). Miriam and Aaron so angered God with that query that it took the humble Moses to save Miriam's life! God struck her with leprosy for speaking against Moses. Humbly, not seeking revenge or even punishment, Moses cried out to the Lord for Miriam's healing. God spared her life.
Humility is at the essence of serving God and following Christ. In today's readings, Jesus explains the Passover meal in terms of his own body being the bread and his blood being the wine "poured out for many." Mark 14:22-24. Jesus is humbly offering His life, His body and His blood, for our salvation. Jesus lived and died modeling and teaching humility. We should remember that every time we take communion.
Our challenge as "triple-double point guards for Jesus" is to exercise true humility by passionately pursuing God's will for our lives, loving Christ so much and feeling His love so much that we will lay down our lives for Him in order to serve others.
There's a church sign in my neighborhood this week that seems to be summing up today's reading. It says, "It's hard to stumble when you're humble."
Let's be humble servants of and for Christ!
Blessings,
Pastor Paul
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