FIFTY-SIXTH LESSON
On Imitating Jesus Christ,
By Being Meek and Humble of Heart.
"Because you arc sons, God hath sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts." (GAL. iv. 6.)
Our divine Saviour was born into this world, and dwelt amongst us, not only that He might purchase our Redemption by dying for us, but also that He might set us an example for our imitation.
We profess to be His disciples—to be His imitators; but are we really so? We know we cannot be saved without imitating Him: are we, then, already lost, because we have not imitated Him—because we have not copied His example? "Those whom God foreknew, He also predestinated to be made conform able to the image of His Son." We have not been conformable are we, then, lost? No, we are yet living, and therefore we may become conformable to that divine image, if we will. Let us, then, begin in good earnest, and from this very moment: let us now, and in future, imitate the life of Jesus Christ, and then we shall be made partakers of His glory in heaven. Let us therefore be constantly striving to "do all things according to the pattern shown us on the mount." (HEB. viii. 5.)
In what, then, must we imitate our Lord's example? or rather, where should we begin? for we have to copy all His virtues. Christians of every state of life will find in Him a pattern of all virtues; but what virtues shall we begin with? He Himself tells us: "Learn of Me," He says (not to create the world, or to raise the dead to life; but)—"Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart." (MT. xi. 29.) This being "meek and humble of heart" is the beginning—the foundation of all virtue. These two virtues go hand in hand: for a meek man is humble, and an humble man is meek. We may say the same of the contrary vices: for a haughty man is always proud; and a proud man is haughty. Let us, then, "learn of Him to be meek and humble of heart." For, though, as St. Augustine says, His whole life upon earth is an example of every virtue, His meekness and humility of heart are what He more especially calls upon us to imitate. The excellence of these two virtues, and the need we have of them, are thus rendered evident. But even if He had not expressly told us that these two virtues are what He particularly wishes us to imitate Him in; nevertheless, in order to discover this truth, we need only consider, that the Son of God came down from heaven to teach them, not by words only, but much more by His actions; and that His whole life was an example and living model of them. St. Basil proves this truth, by running through the whole life of Christ; and, after having recounted the principal circumstances, from His birth to His death, He shows that all His actions serve to teach us that He was "meek and humble of heart."
As to Meekness, what is the example He has given us? The Gospel informs us how, during His whole life, He had to endure the most unrelenting persecutions and insulting outrages; and, at the close of it, the severest torments. But He bore all this unworthy treatment not merely with patience, but with an unspeakable meekness. He could, with the least exertion of His divine power, have cast all His persecutors at once into the bottomless abyss; but He preferred rather to endure their malice, without any other resistance but that of meekness. He forgave them from His heart; and even offered Himself as a victim of propitiation for them, in order to induce His heavenly Father also to forgive them. And one of His last dying words on the Cross was in favor of those very persons, who had nailed Him to it: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (LK. xxiii. 34.)
As to humility of heart, His example is no less striking. He was the King of kings and Lord of lords—the great God of heaven and earth, before whom the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, fall down in silent adoration; and yet He humbled Himself so far, for our example, as to be born of a poor mother, in a stable, as a stranger, and an outcast from society, to be "wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger." He submitted to be circumcised, as a sinner,—to flee into Egypt, as one forced into exile,—to be baptized among publicans and sinners, as if He were one of them. When, afterwards, the people wished to honor Him by making Him their king, He hid Himself from them; but when they would load Him with insults and reproaches, He appeared publicly in their presence. When men praised Him, and the devils, by the mouth of the possessed, published His greatness, He commanded them to be silent; but when they accused and condemned Him, He gave no such command. To recommend humility to us as the act of His last will, He humbled Himself at the end of His life so far as even to wash the feet of His disciples; and crowned all these examples of humility, by voluntarily resigning Himself to die the most humiliating death of the Cross.
But, why all these humiliations, in the life of Christ? It was, says St. Bernard, in order that no one might dare, after that, to exalt or glorify himself. Man had always been extravagant in allowing himself to be carried away with vanity; but it would now be, says the same Saint, a thing wholly insupportable, to see a worm of the earth puffing himself up with pride, after the God of infinite Majesty has thus debased Himself so low for our example. The Son of God has taken the form of a servant, and chosen for Himself humiliations and contempt; and we, who are but dust and ashes, and much worse than dust and ashes, because we are sinners—we presume to seek after honor and respect, as if they were our due.
Oh what a difference between our conduct, and the example of Jesus Christ, our model! He suffered every kind of humiliation, and ill-treatment, with perfect meekness and humility of heart; but is not the least thing sufficient to wound our pride, and make us break out into complaints and ill-humor, and even revenge? The example of our blessed Redeemer teaches us how to reform our conduct; let us, therefore study His life, and learn of Him henceforth to be "meek and humble of heart." Like Him, let us be condescending, and kind, and affable to every one, but more especially to the poor and lowly; and let us not give way to that false, mistaken, and worldly idea, that we shall thereby degrade or lower ourselves in the eyes of men. Perhaps some, indeed, may smile contemptuously at our simplicity and condescension. Well, be it so; Christ was laughed to scorn: in His condescension, meekness, and humiliations, He was contemned, despised, and laughed at. Now, "the disciple is not (or should not think of being) above his master." (MT. X. 24.) "I am among you, as he that doth serve." (LK. xxii. 27.) "I have given you an example, that, as I have done, so you do also." (JN xiii. i5.)
Oh! let us, then, keep constantly before our eyes this divine example which our Lord has set us, and which he thus proposes to us for our imitation. Whatever may be the conduct of men in our regard—however they may treat us, let us cast our eyes upon our divine Model, who left us His example that we should follow His steps. (I PET. II. 21.) Let us, on all occasions, and under all circumstances, " learn of Him to be meek and humble of heart."
And let us pray that He would actuate us at all times and in all things by His spirit that it may be no longer we that live, but Christ who liveth in us.
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