"They were watching him,” we read of the Pharisees, who were eyeing Jesus as he dined.

In a celebrity-mad, TikTok culture, everyone is encouraged to acquire his or her 15 minutes (or at least 15 seconds) of fame. We are invited to be seen and heard, recognized and admired. We may start to feel almost invisible without external affirmation and acclamation, a pulpit to preach from, or a blog, or a Facebook or Instagram account to make our daily brilliance known.

A friend of mine was secretly hurt when the provisions of his mother's will were announced. He'd always assumed that his mother would bequeath her wedding ring to his daughter. She was the only granddaughter and his only sibling had no children.

I once taught a student with a pretty rough background. Her mother and father had abandoned her, leaving the girl and her sister to be raised by their grandmother. I communicated with this caretaker and felt assured that my student was in a loving home.

In a spirit of humility, we stand in the presence of God, confident of God's forgiveness.

Humility exists only in those who are poor enough to see that they possess nothing of their own.