THE Lord Jesus “knew what was in man,” and frequently addressed His word to some mainspring of human conduct. Hence we find the same words applied by our Lord to different circumstances, be cause they bear on some leading principle of the human heart. The great moral lesson, “Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted,” is given by the Lord under three different circumstances. There is a deeply rooted thought in the heart of man, that if he can only raise himself above his actual condition, he will secure both his happiness and dignity. In the earliest record of the history of man, he caught at the thought of being as God, knowing good and evil; he exalted himself and was forthwith abased. But the thought still remains in his heart, and shows itself in reference both to God and man, and has even entered, where it seemed most unlikely to find a place, into the church of God. The leading principle of man is self-elevation; this may properly be contrasted with the leading principle of Christ’s doctrine which is self-denial; and if we follow out the principle of self-exaltation to its legitimate result, it will be found to issue in the denial of redemption altogether. Man seeks happiness by elevating himself; Christ saves sinners by coming down, by humbling Himself. Man tries, although in vain, to exalt himself, for all his efforts fail to emancipate him from the power of sin and death; but Christ actually did humble Himself. The highest attainment for a Christian is to have the mind which was in Christ Jesus, who “being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation.” There are two opposite and diverging lines of seeking blessing, the ascending line which is that of man, and the descending line which is that of God, and according as men are pursuing the one or the other of these ways, so their end will be. Man’s line of exalting himself ends in Babylon, which is to be destroyed; Christ’s line of self-humiliation ends in exalting to glory, with Himself, all those who, self-emptied, glory only in Him. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down.” Man never reaches anything really good or perfect according to the line of self-exaltation. The apostle Paul even turns aside from speaking of the ascension of Christ to notice his previous humiliation: “Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens.” Here is the divine order exhibited in perfection, in the humiliation of Christ, and the glory consequent thereon. The good and perfect Gift of God, Christ Himself, came down, and is only to be received by faith. “The Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” All that man needs as a sinner for reconciliation with God, all that he needs for comfort while in the world, or for happiness throughout eternity, is alone found in the Bread of God which came down from heaven. The way of God is not our way. The way of God is for Himself to come down, the way of man is to seek to get up; and the end will prove that the way of God is the only way both of salvation and happiness.
Such considerations give deep interest to the thrice repeated instruction of the Lord, “Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” First, in order, let us regard it as applied to man in reference to God. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one—a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The Pharisee exalted himself, the Publican humbled himself. The Pharisee preferred his claim to God, and lifted himself up into God’s presence by comparing himself with another; he challenged the favour of God by his presumed superiority over others. This is a faithful picture of human religion, which is in fact a bidding for God’s favor upon the ground of what one man is in reference to another. On the other hand, the Publican humbled himself by seeing God alone with whom to compare himself, so that unless mercy came down to him from God to meet him just as he was, he was lost for ever. In the end it will be found that the truest pretensions of Pharisaic religion must be laid low in order that the Lord alone may be exalted, and the self-emptied will be filled out of the abundant fullness which is in Christ Jesus. The Publican called upon Him who is rich in mercy, which came down to meet him in all his need; but none of the pretensions of the Pharisee could reach up to God, so as to be weighed in the balance of the sanctuary and not found wanting.
Next there is the social application of the same principle: “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms, saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee; for whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The Lord pule forth this as a parable, drawing from the usages of society the great moral with which the instruction closes. A proud pushing man is sure to meet with many mortification, from which a modest unpretending man is exempt. He that challenges for himself that which he regards as due to himself, forces others to measure his pretensions with those of others, and if they find them wanting, they feel satisfaction in setting him down. How clear is the application of the parable. All human pretensions are, in the sight of God, comparisons between the man who makes them and Christ. When God weighs human pretensions in the balance of the sanctuary, he weighs them against Christ. It is this which gives so offensive a character to self-righteousness before God. “That which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.” Such is self-righteousness. It virtually sets aside the honor of the Christ of God, as the righteous One, and “the holy One of God.” To all such pretenders, God must say, Go down lower. And with what shame will all pretenders to wisdom, righteousness, or holiness, take their place; even crying to the rocks and hills to fall on them, and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.
In the twenty-third chapter of Matthew, the Lord draws the contrast between the teaching, and the ways and works of the disciples of Moses. They might teach Moses very clearly; “but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not.” They “love to be called of men, Rabbi;” but, says Jesus to His disciples, “Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on the earth; for one is your Father which is in heaven. Neither be ye called Masters, for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” It is hardly necessary to point out that corrupt Christendom is based on the total disregard of these precepts. In the language of Christendom the so-called clergy are the Church; and very generally they assume to be the Church, so as to be impatient of what they characterize lay-interference. But it is among real Christians that the great danger of leadership is most conspicuous. A minister of Christ may either take the place of a leader, or be set in the place of one by others. In either case the danger is great. To the leader, if he assumes the place himself, the danger is lest he exercise dominion over the faith of others, instead of helping their joy. To those who set the teacher in the place of the leader, although he assume it not himself, the danger is, of regarding rather, “Thus saith the leader,” than “Thus saith the Lord.” To both alike there is the danger of losing the sense of direct responsibility to the Lord; and of forgetting the honored place of the servant, and the happy place of common brotherhood. For a minister of Christ to exalt himself as a religious leader, is to place the gift of the Lord, which ceases when that which is perfect is come, above the essential union of the least member of the body of Christ with Him the living Head. He exalts himself, but he must be abased, in order to know that in doing so he is losing the sense of his highest dignity, which is the common dignity of all. The Lord has often found it needful to discipline His ministering servants, lest they should be exalted by the gift of His grace, as though it were their own acquirement. The apostle Paul knew what it was to be the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints; but he had to be humbled by enduring many mortifications, not only from unbelieving Jews and idolatrous Gentiles, but also from real Christians. He knew how “to be abased.” Difficult knowledge to attain; but when attained it led him to learn the depth of the wisdom, as well as the blessedness, of “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” So long as the gospel is preached and received, so long will the name of Him, who was treated as the offscouring of all things, be revered. The divine order is, “Before honour is humility.” May we be “clothed” with it, as our greatest adornment.