Humility in the Teaching of Jesus

WE have seen humility in the life of Christ, as He laid open His heart to us: let us listen to His teaching.

There we shall hear how He speaks of it, and how far He expects men, and specially His disciples, to be humble as He was.

Let us carefully study the passages, which I can scarce do more than quote, to receive the full impression of how often and how earnestly He taught it; it may help us to realise what He asks of us.

1. Look at the commencement of His ministry. In the Beatitudes with which the Sermon on the Mount opens, He speaks: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 'Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.' The very first words of His proclamation of the kingdom of heaven reveal the open gate through which alone men can enter it. The whole magna charta of the kingdom is framed on the principle, the last shall be first, the first shall be last: it is the poor in spirit, the meek and lowly, to whom the kingdom belongs.

2. He offers Himself as our example: 'Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls' (Matt. 11:29). The rest of heaven is the rest of humility, the sinking down into nothingness before God. That is what Jesus offers His disciples: He asks them to take His yoke, and bear it with Him and like Him, because it is easy. The clearer insight we have into the truth that pride, self-exaltation, and self-will is the root of all sin and misery, the more we shall see and confess that humility is the root of all virtue and blessing. When the disciples disputed who should be greatest in the kingdom, Jesus set a little child in the midst of them, and said, 'Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 18:4).

3. In the parable of the guests bidden to the wedding, and choosing the highest seats, He gives the divine law: 'Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted' (Luke 14:11).

4. When the mother of Zebedee's children came asking for her sons that they might sit, the one on His right hand, the other on the left, in His kingdom, and the ten disciples were moved with indignation, Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister' (Matt. 20:25-28).

5. Later, speaking of the Scribes and Pharisees, and their love of the chief place at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues, He turns to the multitude and His disciples, and says: 'He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted' (Matt. 23:11-12).

6. In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, He again ends with the words, 'Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted' (Luke 18:14).

7. At the Supper table He took a towel, and washed the disciples' feet, and said, 'If I then, the Lord and the Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you' (John 13:14-15).

8. At that same Supper table, when there was a contention among the disciples which of them should be accounted greatest, Jesus said, 'He that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth' (Luke 22:26-27).

9. These are all the passages in which Jesus speaks directly of humility. Let it be our earnest study to hear His words, not only in the letter, but with the mind and heart made teachable and receptive by the Holy Spirit, that so they may reveal to us their deep and spiritual meaning.

How little this is preached. How little it is practised.

'Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.' Would God that it might be given us to believe that Jesus means this!

We need now to learn another lesson,—that Jesus calls us to be servants of one another, and that, as we accept it heartily, this service too will be a most blessed one.

Brethren, here is the path to the higher life. Down, lower down!

Seek not, ask not for exaltation; that is God's work.

Men sometimes speak as if humility and meekness would rob us of what is noble and bold and manlike.

Jesus, the meek and lowly One, calls us to learn of Him the path to God.