"When the crowds were flocking to Jesus, he withdrew to prayer. He did not need the approval of the masses because he was rooted in the words that came down from heaven: 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased' (Mark 1:11). . . .
"The gospel tells us who we are: We are made in the image of God, created in his likeness for his glory. This truth speaks to both our dignity and our dependence. Before and after the fall, people need God in every aspect of life, 'for in him we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28).
"The gospel tells us whose we are: We belong to God, body and soul. He is our Maker, to whom we belong by virtue of design. He is our Father, whom we belong to by means of adoption. . . . 'Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:39).
". . . In humility we are becoming less concerned with our prestige. Our wills are breaking and we are not demanding our rights anymore. On the journey to the cross, fear is losing its grip as we cling to our identity in Christ. Pride is being starved because we are letting go of our need to be [seen as] right and [our need for] our desires to be recognized. We are being liberated from the solitary confinement of self-concern."
