The proud and the humble

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:17-24)

Wealth and poverty, greatness and smallness in addition to having material significance, also take on spiritual meaning. From this perspective, the rich are proud  in that  they don’t believe they owe anything to the Lord. On the contrary, they think that everything is owed to them because they delude themselves that they have earned everything exclusively by their own merits. On the contrary, the poor are humble, that is, they are aware they depend on God at every moment of life. May we seek to improve ourselves each and every day while exercise our humility before God and as well as before the men we encounter.