The Conclusion Of His Way Of Life

As we noted in chapter 20, the Bible associates humility and mildness with wisdom. Jehovah, of course, sets the best example in this regard. But what about Jesus? It is heartwarming to see the humility Jesus showed in dealing with his disciples. As a perfect man, he was superior to them. Yet, he did not look down on his disciples. Never did he seek to make them feel inferior or incompetent. On the contrary, he was considerate of their limitations and patient with their shortcomings. (Mark 14:34-38; John 6:12) Is it not significant that even children felt at ease with Jesus? Surely they felt drawn to him because they sensed that he was "mild-tempered and lowly in hear." -Matthew 11:29; Mark 10:13-16.

Jesus showed godly humility in yet another important way. He was reasonable, or yielding, when mercy made this proper. Recall, for example, the time when a Gentile woman begged him to cure her badly demonized daughter. In three different ways, Jesus initially indicated that he was not going to help her-first, by refraining from answering her; second by stating directly that he has been sent forth, not to the Gentiles, but to the Jews; and third, by giving an illustration that kindly made the same point. However, the woman persisted, giving evidence of extraordinary faith. In the light of this exceptional circumstance, how did Jesus respond? He did exactly what he had indicated he would not do. He cured the woman's daughter. (Matthew 15:21-28) Remarkable humility is it not? And remember, humility is at the root of genuine wisdom.

How thankful we can be that the Gospels reveal to us the words and actions of the wisest man who ever lived! Let us remember that Jesus was a perfect reflection of his Father. By imitating the personality, speech, and ways of Jesus, we will be cultivating the wisdom from above. In the next chapter, we will see how we can put godly wisdom to work in our life.

Next time: Is "The Wisdom From Above" At Work In Your Life?

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