Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Jesus has just warned the crowds and His disciples against chasing religious titles and rank. This verse closes that warning with a rule that settles how every proud life and every humble life ends.
The Setting: Religious Titles and Rank
One writer marks out what this warning is about, and what it is not about:
Two Men, Two Endings
Each half of the verse has already been lived out by a man:
W. T. P. Wolston"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you" (1 Peter 5:6). It is far more blessed to humble ourselves under His mighty hand and have Him exalt us, than to exalt ourselves and leave Him to put us down!
Commentators return again and again to Philippians 2 as the pattern. Adam grasped at height and fell; Christ went down and was raised:
F. B. HoleThe mind that was in Christ is the exact opposite of the mind that was in Adam. The Lord's own words in Matthew 23:12 illustrate it. There was found in Adam the self-exalting mind, and as a consequence he fell into the depths. In Christ there was found the self-sacrificing, self-humbling mind, and, as we see in this passage, He is exalted to the supreme place.
Where Greatness Sits
This verse follows straight on from the words about the servant. Together they show where greatness really sits:
What Self-Humbling Is Not
One writer draws a sharp line between real humility and its imitation:
The Bible TreasuryTrue humility is not saying bad things about oneself, for this may go together with the most dreadful pride. The blessed thing is to be able to forget oneself, to be so taken up with the Lord that self is shut out. When Moses thought his face shone, the people did not see it. But once he had been long enough in God's presence for his face to shine, everyone else saw it — and he did not.
Humbling Yourself, or Being Humbled
The verse leaves a choice, and if it is not taken willingly it is taken for us:
William KellyThe unchanging way of God is this: "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Only faith gives true humbling of self. There are two forms of it: the happiest of all is to be humble; the next best thing is to be humbled. It is better to be humble than to be humbled, but there is no comparison between being humbled and being lifted up. Humility is the effect of grace. Humbling comes instead from God's righteous government, when we are not humble.
The Promise Kept
One writer sees the second half of the verse already illustrated in Daniel:
F. B. HoleOur Lord's words were, "whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matt. 23:12). Here we have an illustration of this. Daniel had humbled himself in exceptional measure, and so he is permitted to know that he is greatly loved in Heaven. What an exaltation! Had he not been truly humbled, such an assurance might have puffed him up to his ruin.
Summary
- Two men. The first man grasped at being God and fell. The second Man made Himself nothing, and God raised Him to the highest glory. One line, two life stories.
- Two seats. The warning aims at religious rank and titles, not at gift or service. Greatness lives in the ability to serve.
- Two humilities. Real self-humbling is not speaking badly of yourself. That can hide great pride. It is being so taken up with the Lord that self is shut out — like Moses, the one man who could not see his own shining face.
- Two routes down. You can be humble by grace, or be humbled by God's government. Better to be humble than humbled — but either beats a soul that is lifted up.
- Two hands. Better to humble yourself under God's mighty hand and let Him lift you than to lift yourself and leave Him to put you down. Daniel took that path, and heard that Heaven greatly loved him.