The jaws of humility
Less is more.
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30 (NLT)
The movie Jaws just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Did you ever hear of actor Carl Gottlieb? He played newspaper reporter Harry Meadows, and he was ecstatic to have the role.
But as the screenplay evolved during production — rewritten nightly to adjust scenes and dialogue, sometimes for filming the very next day — his role shrank bit by bit. One of the writers, feverishly reworking the script to help Steven Spielberg improve the story, kept cutting Gottlieb’s scenes.
Gottlieb might have resented the screenwriter who systematically reduced his role, but it would have been difficult. That writer was Carl Gottlieb himself.
As he later recalled, “I actually had to cut my own character’s part to accommodate the needs of the evolving narrative. No greater sacrifice could be demanded of an actor/writer, and I did what was necessary to the success of the film.” He said it was “the hardest thing I have ever done in show business.”
Gottlieb’s decision paints a vivid picture of the humility Christians are called to embody.
In Mark 10:43, 45, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant … For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
I’ll admit, I struggle to remember that I’m not the main character in God’s story. My role matters, but it’s not the lead role. The mission — saving humanity through God’s love — must always take priority over my ego.
Thus, I’m often called to step out of the spotlight and let others shine. I can’t throw tantrums when I don’t get my way. It can’t always be the food I want to eat, the places I want to go, the topics I want to discuss. I have to forget about appearing interesting to others and become interested in others. Humility demands that I become less so that others — especially God — can become more.
That sentiment, in fact, was directly expressed by John the Baptizer: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30).
Jesus embodied this humility. On the night before His crucifixion, He asked God, “Please take this cup of suffering away from me.” But God needed Him to go through with the plan to save humanity, and Jesus endured an excruciating death without complaint. He approached the horrifying deed with the ultimate humility, praying, “I want your will to be done, not mine.”
So the next time you feel overlooked or sidelined, think of Carl Gottlieb writing himself out of Jaws for the good of the story. Think of Jesus surrendering His will for the salvation of the world. Think of God and others more, and yourself less.
Graceful Contemplations
“The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct; the insignficances of daily life are the importances and the tests of eternity, because they prove what really is the spirit that possesses us.” — Andrew Murray
“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.” ― Andrew Murray
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” — C.S. Lewis
Thank you for reading!
August was bittersweet. I cherished some wonderful quality time with my family, but I also had to say goodbye to some of our youth group members as they headed off to college. At the same time, I began a brand-new school year!
