I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
(Matthew 8:8 NRSV Bible)
The centurion was man of great humility. Jesus was persuaded by the testimony of the elders and went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him saying, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof . . . ." Can you believe this? Here is a Roman solider a man of wealth, power, and authority and he is saying to an itinerant Jewish teacher, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof . . . ." He was a man of great humility.

Is there any quality more appealing in a woman or man than genuine humility? I'm not talking about low self-esteem that causes others to walk all over us. Certainly the centurion was no doormat. But he recognized Jesus' power and he was humbled.

One of my favorite stories is about a bald man who decided with his wife one night to go out to dinner and have a baby sitter to take care of their two little children.

While they were gone, the baby sitter got interested in a television program and wasn't watching the children very carefully. The little boy got into his father's electric shaver and shaved a big landing strip right down the middle of his head.

When his father came home, he was furious. He said, "Son! I told you never to play with my shaver. Now you are going to get a spanking!" Dad was just about to give his son a spanking when his son looked up at him and said, "Wait until you see sister!" Dad was horrified.

He went into the next room and there was their little four-year-old daughter with her hair shaved off. By this time dad was really furious. He grabbed up his son and said, "Now you are really going to get it."

Just as he lifted his hand his son looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said, "But Daddy! WE WERE JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU!" I'm sure that little boy didn't get any punishment that night. A good person of God is humble.

Dear Jesus, through your humility you became my savior. May I also be humble for God's glory. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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