Jesus on Humility

The Poor in Spirit
Jesus not only strongly impressed his disciples with the need for humility, but was himself its supreme example. He described himself as meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:19). The first of the beatitudes was to “the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), and it was “the meek” who should “inherit the earth.”

Who is greater?
Humility, according to Jesus, is the way to true greatness: he who should “humble himself as this little child” should be “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”; “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted (Matthew 18:4, 23:12; Luke 14:11)."

Servant of Servants
Jesus himself set a touching example of humility in his washing of the disciples’ feet (John. 13:1-ff). Paul therefore makes an earnest appeal to Christians (Philippians 2:1-ff) that they should cherish and manifest the spirit of their Lord’s humility, who humbled himself to the point of death on the cross.