Vogel: In all things, humility

Again, Jesus admonishes the Jewish elite of His time. How had God’s Chosen People become so corrupted?

Perhaps a better question is, “How can a humble person be a leader in a society dominated by politics, power and greed?” To survive in that atmosphere, a person must have thick skin and a huge ego.

Jesus tells us that the greatest among us must be our servant. There will always be those with ambitions for power and status, but humility is not a trait that lends itself to acquiring lofty social status.

What Jesus preached seems to be a paradox: Those with power and status (the greatest among us) conducting themselves with humility.

We each have our vocations, those pathways through life that bring us fulfillment. They are written deep within us. Life may steer us away from that path, but when we do find it we know we are doing God’s will — it brings us joy.

Some find their joy in positions of power and prestige. That is, the joy doesn’t come from the power and prestige, it comes from the inner assurance that one is doing God’s will. From that comes the humility; it is God Who bestows the honor of such positions; they are not earned.

Perhaps those who seek it most aggressively are not those called by God. There are many imposters in lofty positions. These were the hypocrites who became the targets of Jesus’ disdain.

For those in positions of authority, whether in the Church or in society at large, Jesus’ words should be taken very seriously: God has bestowed on you an honor and a command to humbly serve those above whom you stand. You have 10 talents, only with humility will you make 10 more.

To those whose talents are not bent toward positions of authority, your joy is more easily attained. Without glamor, your work bears fruit. The world may not celebrate your accomplishments — indeed, they may seem mundane. But when you kneel before God and you feel His peace upon you, know that He has blessed you with special gifts which you bring to your work. Be sure that your work brings comfort even to the least among us — the hungry, the lonely, those in need. It is the 5 talents, multiplied by the many who work their lives in the service of others that provides for the needs of God’s people.

It has been said that life is not fair and most at some point in life have known the bitter sting of defeat, failure or senseless loss. Sin demands a price from all, even those who are blameless.

When you are left with little, it is so difficult to feel kindly toward those who have much. Anger, resentment and despair creep in. Yet it is in the least among us that God dwells with passion: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”

Even with the little that you have, God calls you to use your 1 talent to serve Him as you are able.

In the end, the Lord will judge all according to the fruits of their talents, whether many or few.

To the Jewish people, the analogy of sheep and goats had meaning. We may judge ourselves by the world’s standard, we are creatures of this world. But be careful that you do not become a sheep in this world and a goat before God!

Mr. Vogel is a member of Cathedral of St. Joseph parish in Jefferson City.