Intellectual Humility

He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God." John 3:2 (NIV)

IH is often described as an intellectual virtue, along with other perceived virtues such as open-mindedness, intellectual courage and integrity, and in contrast to proposed intellectual vices, such as pride and arrogance.

Nicodemus' approach to Jesus has the ring of a detective on the trail of a suspect, more than a humble seeker after truth: "We know who you are." But his assessment of Jesus was inadequate, Jesus was not a teacher who came from God; he was God who came to teach.

Nicodemus didn't know who Jesus was at all, but he thought he knew, and that is the important point. Jesus has to break through his intellectual confidence, and so he says to Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (3:3).

It is very interesting that throughout the conversation Jesus moves Nicodemus from intellectual certainty to intellectual humility.

The true disciple is not one who has all the answers, the sage who always knows what to do and say. The true disciple is the one who humbly takes his place as a learner of Christ, who says, "God, I need you to open my eyes, keep me from error, and lead me in right paths."

Nicodemus starts by saying, "I know," but Jesus shows him that he needs to learn. "Nicodemus, you don't need to be an encyclopedia of answers. You need to become a learner who walks with God."

Comments