Real humility isn’t about scorekeeping or eternal payoffs. It’s about becoming better people now, through mercy, kindness, and authentic generosity. Humility, mercy, and kindness become transformative when they’re not transactional but rather lived authentically in the here and now.
Have you ever noticed how often humility gets twisted into something else, either self-criticism that tears us down, or fake modesty that’s really just angling for recognition or reward? Religious stories do this too, turning humility and kindness into transactions, with promises of eternal payoffs for good behavior. But what if we stripped away the bargaining and saw these lessons for what they really are: a challenge to live with authenticity, to give without keeping score, and to grow into better people in the here and now?
Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”
As we reflect on the readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, we’ll explore the difference between humility that’s transactional and humility that transforms us, between kindness that’s given for reward and kindness that builds stronger communities right where we live.
In this episode, we’re asking a tough but liberating question: What happens when we stop treating humility and kindness like bargaining chips and start practicing them as habits that shape who we are? Because if we want real growth, individually and together, it’s not about eternal promises. It’s about the choices we make right now.
