2. _'Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find
rest for your souls.'_ Jesus offers Himself as Teacher. He tells what
the spirit both is, which we shall find Him as Teacher, and which we
can learn and receive from Him. Meekness and lowliness the one thing
He offers us; in it we shall find perfect rest of soul. Humility is to
be a salvation.
3. The disciples had been disputing who would be the greatest in the
kingdom, and had agreed to ask the Master (Luke 9:46; Matt. 18:3). He
set a child in their midst and said, _'Whosoever shall humble himself
as this little child, shall be exalted.'_ 'Who the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?' The question is indeed a far-reaching one. What
will be the chief distinction in the heavenly kingdom? The answer,
none but Jesus would have given. The chief glory of heaven, the true
heavenly-mindedness, the chief of the graces, is humility. _'He that
is least among you, the same shall be great.'_
4. The sons of Zebedee had asked Jesus to sit on His right and left,
the highest place in the kingdom. Jesus said it was not His to give,
but the Father's, who would give it to those for whom it was prepared.
They must not look or ask for it. Their thought must be of the cup and
the baptism of humiliation. And then He added, _'Whosoever will be
chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came
to serve.'_ Humility, as it is the mark of Christ the heavenly, will
be the one standard of glory in heaven: the lowliest is the nearest to
God. The primacy in the Church is promised to the humblest.
5. Speaking to the multitude and the disciples, of the Pharisees and
their love of the chief seats, Christ said once again (Matt. xxxiii.
11), _'He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.'_
Humiliation is the only ladder to honour in God's kingdom.
6. On another occasion, in the house of a Pharisee, He spoke the
parable of the guest who would be invited to come up higher (Luke xiv.
1-11), and added, _'For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased;
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'_ The demand is
inexorable; there is no other way. Self-abasement alone will be
exalted.
7. After the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Christ spake
again (Luke xviii. 14), _'Everyone that exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'_ In the temple
and presence and worship of God, everything is worthless that is not
pervaded by deep, true humility towards God and men.
8. After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus said (John xiii. 14), _'If
I then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to
wash one another's feet.'_ The authority of command, and example,
every thought, either of obedience or conformity, make humility the
first and most essential element of discipleship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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