2. Before the Birth of Christ this characteristic of His mission was heralded in Mary's song. She who described herself as a handmaiden of low estate could rejoice that in the coming Kingdom the
pruutl would be scattered in, or by (Lk P' RVm), the disposition of their hearts. Princes would be brought down, and rich men sent empty away. On the other hand, those of low degree would be exalted, and the hungry abundantly satisfied. The Magnificat proclaimed the truths that whilst poverty and obscurit}^ are not bars to acceptance with God, there are evils peculiarly belonging to high rank which utterly disqualify.
3. The Temptation (Mt 41-" i| Lk 41-'=') was largely an attempt to work on feelings of pride in the mind of Jesus. He was urged to prove His superiority to the conditions of ordinary humanity by a self- glorifying triumph over the laws of nature. The Tempter strove to make Him do so either (1) by providing for His sjiecial physical needs, or (2) by a public display of His might. In the offer (3) of universal sovereignty, the lures of authority and glory were especially emphasized.
4. In His definite teaching our Lord laid especial stress on the virtues of humility and lowliness of mind as fundamental requisites in His loyal fol- lowers. The Beatitude of the meek struck the dominant keynote in this respect. Men Mere invited to learn of Him, for He was meek and lowly in heart (Mt IP"). His disciples could apply to Him the prophetic description that He was meek (Mt 21^). More than once He seems to have uttered the apothegm, ' Whosoever shall exalt him- self shall be humbled, and whosoever shall humble himself .shall be exalted' (Mt 231^, Lk 14'i 18^^). Various specific forms of pride were rebuked and cautioned against.
(1) Several times our Lord severely censured exhibitions of spiritual pride. This vice called forth peculiar indignation and detestation in Him. The religious ostentation of the Pharisees was unsparingly reprobated. The types are eternally stigmatized who can thank God they are not as others are, who from the heights of their own com- placency can look down on the supposed inferior spirituality of their fellows (Lk IS**"'-) ; who parade in public places their devotions (Mt 6^) ; who do all their works to be seen of men, and obtrude their religious symbols (Mt 23^) ; who for a i)re- tence make long prayers (Lk 20^'). This species of religious self-satisfaction, of spurious spirituality, elicited the scathing invective of Christ in an alto- gether unpai'alleled degree. He declared that the publicans and harlots went into the Kingdom of God before such proud professors (Mt 2PM.
(2) The strictures our Lord passed on the racial pride of the Jews drew against Him their fiercest anger. He shoAved how vain were their boasted privileges when He proclaimed that many should be admitted to the Kingdom from all quarters of the earth, but the children of the Kingdom rejected (Mt8'^). He tried to make them realize from their own Scriptures the futility of their reliance on descent, by referring to the favour shown Naaman tlie Syrian and the widow of Zarephath (Lk 42sff-). The parables of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Mt 2()i'f-) and of the Householder's rebellious servants (2i33fr.) ^vere plainly intended to make His hearers see how little worth was in their lofty pretensions as the children of Abraham — the chosen people.
(3) Intellectual haughtiness was also decidedly condemned by Christ. The inclination that springs from the consciousness of ability or learning to scornfully depreciate those of more meagre mental equipment, is one of the most insidious forms of pride. To it certain natures fall victims who would consider family pretensions or religious assumptions of superiority vulgar and discredit- able. Many who would loathe the commonly recognized vaingloriousness of the Pharisees are dangerously near sharing in the mental arrogance which prompted the latter to sneer, ' This multi-
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tude which knoweth not the law are accursed '
(Jn T^j.
The tendency to indulge in lofty contempt from the 'intel- lectual throne ' is strikingly portrayed in Tennvson's Palace of Art—
' O God-like isolation which art mine, 1 can but count thee perfect gain. What time I watch the darkening droves of swine That range on yonder plain.' '
All such disdai^fulne^^s for the simple and un- learned was inipre.ssivelv forbidden by Christ's warninji, ' See that ye clespise not one of these little ones' (Mt 18'"; cf. a striking sermon by Bp. Boyd Carpenter on ' The Dangers of Contempt '). Again, our Lord bore witness to the supreme im- portance of simplicity and innocence, as opposed to superciliousness and pride, when He said of the little children, ' Of such is the kingdom of heaven ' (Lk IS"*), and added that the only attitude which qualified for admission was that of a little child. It is noteworthy that the same dispositions of receptivitj' and absence of hard preconceptions are insisted on bj* scientists as prime requisites for the student of the kingdom of nature.
(4) The pride that comes from the enjoyment of high official or social rank was discountenanced in one of the most surprising actions of our Lord's earthly life — the episode of the Feet - washing (Jn 13). It was a \ivid, unforgetable lesson in the duty of self-abasing sennce. No one who tlien was present was likelj- to fall into the sin of presuming on privileges of position, or treating subordinates with selfish, slighting inconsiderateness. The im- agination of succeeding generations has been in- tensely impressed by the spectacle of the Son of God washing the travel-stained feet of His poor followers. The pride that jealously exacts sub- servience could not be more effectually proscribed. The homily against those whose self-importance made them claim the place of honour at entertain- ments (Lk 14"*'^-) is directed against the same grandiose assumptions. This social arrogance of the Pharisees was one of the points in our Lord's indictment of them. They loved the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and to be called Eabbi (]Mt '2^^^-). Any tendency among His disciples to assume lordship was strictly, tenderly suppressed. Once He called them together when such claims were mooted, and pointed out to them how among the outside Gentiles there were those who lorded it and exer- cised authority. In contrast to that should be tlieir practice. Whoever of them was ambitious of greatness and supremacy could attain it only along the lines of submissive ser\-ice (Mt 20-''-"). Tliey had Him as an example, who came not to receive service, but to minister to the needs of others, even to the point of gaving up His life for them (v. 28). They were not to aiTogate to them- selves titles implxnng mastersliip (23''- ^^). The question of leadership among them was met by Christ taking a little child and placing it ' beside himself ' (Trap' eavTi^), and saying that the reception of a little cliild meant the reception of Himself and of His Father who sent Him (Lk 9*"^-)- In the light of how .so stupendous a glory was to be won, tlieir own shortsighted strivings after precedence stood exposed. All such grasping at power and place was a contradiction of the true conception of honour. It was he who humbled himself as a little child that was greatest (Mt IS"*).