Live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. Be humble, be gentle, have a long fuse with one another, and put up with one another--with the forbearing love Jesus' grants to you. In so doing, do your best to preserve the God given unity the Spirit gives, by the peace that binds one another. Ephesians 4:1-3
I read last week an interesting article on world events. It was titled "How to Keep China from Invading Taiwan." In recent years China hands down has been the bully of the world. It has large concentration camps holding millions of Muslims with reports of harvesting their body parts to keep Chinese big shots alive. It has crushed the nation of Tibet, a neighbor, making them slaves. It has shattered its promises of peace with Hong Kong throwing in prison people with no due process of the law, dissenters who love truth and freedom. Communist China is causing trouble everywhere in the world it seems. Right now, Marist China is licking its chops over a possible takeover of Taiwan, a free prosperous nation due to capitalism and the Christian influence.
In his article, Robert O Brien, suggested little Taiwan with the help of the world needs to become a prickly people a porcupine people so that China cannot lay its greedy mitts on the nation. It should be armed with missiles as porcupine quills to strike, if attacked. It should load to the gills its shores between them and China with mines that would make Chinese rulers think twice about an aggressive amphibian assault.
In the world such behavior lamentably must occur. However, in the Church, the Bride of Christ, we are not to be porcupine people. St. Paul, from prison, enjoins God's people to walk a different road--the road of humility. His language is similar to that of the Apostle Peter who encouraged Christians to put on daily the apron of humility. Peter had in mind the night Jesus, though God, took a towel and washed the feet of His disciples. The Creator of the universe washing the dirty feet of disciples who had been constantly bickering about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of God (1 Peter 5:5, clothe yourselves with humility) was the marker and means for this kind of love. On that night, Jesus would empty Himself of all His heaven glory and take the biggest back seat in history, His death on the cross for our sins.
Along the way to the cross, Jesus was not only humble, but gentle, praying for His enemies, refusing to use His power to destroy the whole Roman Empire. On His way to the cross, for us, Jesus demonstrated the longest fuse in history--patient always--praying always--serving up His life, always seeing the larger picture of God's pardoning love.
And talk about putting up with others--no one ever remotely showed forbearance like Jesus. He put up with Peter's three fold denial. He put up with the disciples turning tail and running and sleeping and bickering in His hour of greatest need. He put up with Pilate who knowingly sent an innocent man to death. He put up with the Jewish leaders who broke every rule in the book to keep their idolatrous power. Jesus put on the apron of humility from front to finish as he put up with people spitting on him, having his skin ripped off his back by the inhumane cruel cat-o-nine tails, and the numerous beatings, taunts, and curses of bankrupt religious and political leaders.
Our texts today reveal there is no room for boasting, coasting, and roasting in the Christian walk of faith. How can we boast? What gift do we have that has not come from God? Coasting? Jesus' love moves us to walk in newness of life, not coast in laziness of strife. Roasting other Christians is like a spiritual Covid-19 virus attacking the body of believers. We are a Body. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One body. Roasting is utterly out of step with love. When we wear an apron of boasting, coasting, and roasting, we wear aprons of arrogance.
Daily put on the apron of humility is what Peter, Paul, James, Jude, John Mark, Luke and all the writers of the New Testament advance. Daily put on the apron of humility pulsates from the heart of the prophets. Did not Micah write? "God has shown you O mortal what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
Daily put on the apron of humility is the message in Proverbs today. The writer makes clear we are not to seek honor before kings and people of power--that is idolatry. Walking in humility avoids gossip like a plague; it is never in a hurry to take someone to court; it seeks rather to offer golden apples in settings of silver--that is, offering timely advice in a winsome way.
In short, daily standing at the foot of the cross, daily drowning our arrogant sinful nature, daily hearing Jesus' voice, we become a more pleasant people, not porcupine people. Quietly, faithfully, and humbly we are to accomplish the work God has given us to do. This is what is psychologically healthy and spiritually wise. We are to be God's pleasant peculiar people, not porcupine people (1 Peter 2:9, KJV). Governments may have to enlist needles of porcupines to survive a predator such as China (Romans 13:1-7), however, Christ's Bride is to marked by humility born of humility wrapped around the cross in the Person of God in flesh. Herein WE find power for wearing Our apron.
