By: Obed Pineda
Life is unpredictable; no doubt about it. In fact, there are some who believe that this same unpredictability is what prevents it from ever going stale. Whatever the case may be, there is no form of denying that what makes life so capricious is how consistently change happens. Change has been intricately woven into the fabrics of our lives by the Almighty so that we will understand that “all flesh is as grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:6-8, 1st Peter 1:24-25, emphasis added). The consistency of how often our life transforms, is a great indicator of how brief and transitory our time is on earth. The sovereign Creator wisely weaved this marvelous lesson in all of His creation as a reminder to mankind to “not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2nd Corinthians 4:18, emphasis added). Even though change is inevitable in this life, not all changes are natural. It is undeniable that a healthy person’s body will change and transition naturally as they progress to each stage of their physical life. Yet, the progression of a person’s knowledge and maturity does not happen, if that same person neglects to exercise his mind. The direct result of this terrible life choice is a person who grows into an adult body, but remains in a childlike frame of mind. Therefore, he who remains in immaturity is by choice; not inability. This refusal to grow and mature often manifests in a man’s obstinacy of taking ownership of his faults. This prideful stance of self-justification, cripples the growth that comes from learning from our mistakes. Undoubtedly, failure is not the most ideal way of learning, but it will yield the seed of improvement if we humble ourselves by first accepting the error of our ways. The inspired James exhorted his beloved brethren of the diaspora to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:8-10, emphasis added). The Greek koine word utilized by James for humble is tapeinoō and it is defined as “to make low, bring low; to level, reduce to a plain” (Thayer, G5013). This coincides with the etymology of our English word, humility. Humility has at its root the Latin word humus that translates “earth,” as in ground. Thus the etymological definition of humilis (from whence “humility” was transliterated) means literally “on the ground.” When this knowledge of the origin of humility is applied, observe the instant impact it has upon our understanding of Holy Writ: “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (Psalm 147:6, emphasis added). This Sacred text provides an excellent portrayal of James’ plea to all men to come to repentance, sketching an image of how it is supposed to look. Our blessed Redeemer uses this same description as He proclaims in His parable that “the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13, emphasis added)! Indeed, the same spirit dwelled in the inspired Psalmist, who from Babylonian captivity, penned “Those who sow in tears shall reap joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6, emphasis added). The symbolism of a penitent man’s tears as “seed for sowing” is fascinatingly accurate to the etymological explanation of what it means to have a humble heart before God. The unknown amanuensis of this Psalm, describes the jubilation that filled the hearts of the children of Judah after their seventy years of captivity. Remember that their confinement in the Babylonian kingdom was the result of their persistence of idolatry and infidelity to Jehovah God’s commandments. Thus, those who survived to see their promised return to Jerusalem, had wept bitterly and anxiously before this fateful day had arrived. Those tears, described by the Psalmist, were seeds of profound change; spiritual and necessary change. What the inspired Hebrew poet concedes is that during this difficult period, there were many who reflected on the repercussion of their disobedience to God’s holy mandates. They acknowledged that the fault was their own, and began to transform their mentality from carnal to spiritual. This recognition of their sins, pierced their heart and brought tears down their faces. The sorrow that flooded their hearts, overflowed in the form of tears unveiling a sincere repentance. When Ezra returned with a company to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, he read from the Law of Moses and Scripture reveals that “all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:9b). Their attitude toward the Word of God had changed tremendously from before they were taken in bondage to Babylon (see Jeremiah 44:15-19). Thus, the tears portrayed by the holy Psalmist as seeds for sowing, represents the contrition that enable the children of Judah to repent and return to the Lord. The reaping of joy described by the penmen, is elaborated upon by the Hebrew writer as he explains, “no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, emphasis added). Verily, both inspired scribes are in sync with one another that tears produced by a sincere, contrite heart produce a harvest of joy and peace found in the mercy and grace of God. Once more, the idea of a sinner lowering himself to the ground in a show of humility before God, like a seed sown in the earth proves its value in Holy Writ. The promised fruit from this godly action is mercy, grace, and peace granted by God (Joel 2:12-13, 2nd Corinthians 7:10). Having a better understanding of the immense impact humility has in a person’s transformation for the better, it provides greater clarity to the Master’s reassurance, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, emphasis added).