The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 234

II. OrrnrsT's IDEA 011' GREATNESS. Here our Lord is not dealin" with all greatness• only with that greatness which is relative to the ideas then in th~ minds of disciples'. Their greatness meant" being served," guilefully watching for the attention conceived to be their due j self-assertion. His greatness meant "serving;" guilelessly watchin" for the opportunity of doing something kind; meekness that is the opposite of self. assertion. Of this a chil<l is the typo. A ma.n ought not to be in everything like a child. Experience of life makes it impossible for him to be a child. What was needed by the disciples, and what is needed by us, is that "they should turn from their self-seeking ambition, and regain, in this respect, the relative blamelessness of children."-R. T. Ver. 4.-7roe dignity gained by humbling the self. "As this little child." "We shall miss Christ's meaning if we set about thinking of children in genera.I-of their trustfulness. teachableness, humility, unassuming disposition, 'sweet simplicity,' and kindred things. The truth is, there is human nature (and a good deal of it too) in children as well as in men and women. Winsome as childhood is, and often rarely beautiful, with many a wile and witchery, even the fondest mother cannot help seeing in the child she loves best some tokens of waywardness, self-will, temper, caprice, and -other things prophetic of ill. Jesus did not mean the disciples to think of children in general; it was not any child, taken indiscriminately and at random, that would have suited his purpose." It is this child, one who le~ his play, and came forward at once when Jesus called, this child who could put sil/ a.aide, who illustrates the true dignity. 1. HD'll'.DLINO THE SELF IS NOT MAKING FALSE ESTIMATES OF OUR OHABACTEB. Good people often think that it is. Saying, thinking, and writing bitter things against themselves, that are untrue and unfelt, is often confounded with humility. Troe "humility" always goes hand-in-hand with "truth;" and demands expression which precisely represents feeling. Two schools of religion are in special peril of falling into this mistake. 1. Those who make much of "experiences." There is always a tendency towards the manufacture of experiences. 2. Those who make much of "confessions." There is always the peril of getting credit for humility by exaggerating the confession. What is true of false estimates is in measure true of all imperfect estimates. II. HUllBLING THE BELJJ' IS DEFUSING TO ALLOW OUR LIFB TO DB GUIDED BY SELF• PLEASING CONSIDERATIONS. This is the point in our text. The disciples were scheming to advance their self-interests. The little child promptly and cheerfully gave up his self-interests when Jesus called him. Those disciples had been called by Jesus, but they could not put away the self. In this sense, "humbling the self" will include (1) giving up your pel"SQnal opinion in order to accept Christ'11 revealed truth ; (2) putting aside your own preferences when they conflict with Christ's will; (3) giving up what may mean your own profit or advantage, when you are called to engage in Christ's work. Sell-humbling means Christ-exalting.-R. T. Ver, 8.-The severity of spiritual discipline. Cutting off a right hand and plucking out a right eye are extreme measures, types of the severest dealing with one's self. They bring into thought those cases of disease in which signs of mortification are shown, and the limb must be promptly surrendered or the life will be lost. Our Lord's c0unsel rests upon the recognized fact that bodily organs are the ageuts of sin. The palate is the agency of drunkenness and gluttony, the eye of sensuality, and the hand of dishonesty. We do not really cure a moral evil by merely removing the agency through which it gains expression, but resolute dealing with the organ that is the agent shows that we are dealing with the inner evil, weakening it by taking away ita food and exercise. See some of the things which account for spiritual discipline taking such severe forms. I. Bue TO SPECIAL Evn.s IN NATURAL DISPOSJTIONS. This bias belongs to the mystery of hereditary influences. 'l'hrough a deteriorated bodily organization, 11 man is born with a bias in favour of drink, cheating, pride, sensuality. The members of one royal family are all born gluttons. Possibly, some bias to evil is found in every disposition, and the life-problem i&-What will the man do with just that tendency  238 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATrHEW. [un. xvm.1-35.