Humility in the Incarnation

On the occasion of Christmas, we take a break from our series on the First Things at Capstone to meditate upon the mystery of God’s humility expressed in the Incarnation. Humility is one of the Gryphon’s Weapons, our school virtues. 

At Capstone, we do not engage in private education in order to become elite, to maintain or promote social status, or to get a competitive edge on others. Wisdom, virtue, truth, goodness, and beauty all draw us nearer to God and farther from such vain pursuits. They make God bigger and us smaller. And this is surprisingly satisfying for us. 

This is why we strive to create, across all our studies, an intentional community that longs to humble itself to obedience to the Goodness, Truth, and Beauty of Jesus in all of his majesty. His majesty is displayed in his mighty works and in his life of virtue, the bedrock of which is his humility in submission to his Father and because of his love for us.

Teaching, learning, and serving together in this posture is a joyful adventure of discovering God’s best for his children and leads to the fulfillment of Jesus’ vision for them when He declares, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) The humility of Jesus in the manger and on the cross result in his exaltation in the resurrection. Likewise, we are given this promise in James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” We lead our students in learning humility because it is how they will truly be lifted up.

At Capstone, we pray for humility and strive to practice it in all we do. Why do we care so much about humility? Why do we seek to discern humility in the heart of every applicant for employment at our school? Why do we daily ask God to birth a spirit of humility in our students? In a word: Christmas. The God of creation, He who spoke the universe into existence and who sustains it by the words of his mouth, humbled himself to astoundingly become a developing fetus. He entered a cold stable through a woman’s birth canal. He was laid in a feeding trough for donkeys and cattle. The most rightfully entitled being drained himself of entitlement in submission to his Father and in love toward us. He who is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor humbled himself to lift us out of our self-made pit of pretentious entitlement.

In Philippians 2, the apostle Paul pens this life-giving mystery of humility begetting glory:

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

We labor in humility on behalf of our learners so that they will live reverent, worshipful lives of great purpose. We want to model for them submission to a God who works in them so that they will desire and act according to what pleases him. We know this is for their ultimate joy. Our calling together is to lead children in worship through the life of the mind and heart. We come to science, history, literature, writing, art, music, and all of our studies and activities to see more of God and to imitate him by developing our gifts to follow in the steps of Jesus for the benefit of our neighbors for our great joy to the glory of God.

May the great wonder of Christmas—of the Son willingly laying aside his glory to give us a hope and a future—inspire and convict us to be steadfast and faithful to our shared mission. May you and yours have a very blessed Christmas. We are so very thankful that you are on this journey with us and are giving thanks for you this Christmas.