Emphasis Preaching Journal

An older book on gardening, titled A Sense of Humus, reminds the reader of this Latin word for ground or soil. From its adjective form humilis comes our English word humility, providing a word picture of prostrating oneself on the ground before a king or magistrate. The Philippians passage recalls Jesus falling on the ground in Gethsemane, praying that the cup of death might pass from him, but adding the words of unswerving obedience, "not my will, but yours, be done." However, another word picture suggests itself, that of humus as fertile soil, in which a seed is planted and grows.