The Lord Jesus Christ the Great Pattern of Meekness.
By M. Henry
Our Lord Jesus was the great pattern of meekness; a copy without a blot. We must follow the rest no further than they were conformable to the great original. He fulfilled all righteousness, and was a complete exemplar of all that is holy, just and good; but I think, in those places of Scripture where he is expressly propounded to us for an example, it is to recommend to us some or other of the duties of Christianity. We must walk in love, as Christ loved us; forgive as Christ forgave us; please one another, for Christ pleased not himself; be charitable to the poor, for we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; stoop to the meanest offices of love, for Christ did so; doing all with lowliness of mind, for it is the same mind that was in Christ Jesus; but above all, our Lord Jesus was an example of meekness. It is the character of all the saints that they follow the Lamb; as a lamb they follow him in his meekness, and are therefore so often called the sheep of Christ. This is that part of his copy which he expressly calls us to write after "Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart." If the master be mild, it ill becomes the servant to be froward. The apostle is speaking of Christ's meekness under his sufferings, when he says he "left us an example that we should follow his steps." Let us observe particularly the meekness of our Lord Jesus toward his Father, toward his friends, and toward his foes; in each of which he is an example to us. 1. He was very meek toward God his Father, cheerfully submitting to his whole will and standing complete in it. He always did those things that pleased his Father. In his disposing will he acquiesced from first to last. When he was entering on that sharp encounter, though sense startled at it, and said, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" yet he soon submitted with a great deal of meekness; "not as I will but as thou wilt." Though it was a very bitter cup, yet his Father put it into his hand, and therefore he drank it: "The cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" 2. He was very meek toward his friends that loved and followed him. With what remarkable instances of mildness, gentleness, and tenderness did he train up his disciples, though from first to last he was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." How meekly and calmly did he bear with their weaknesses and infirmities! After they had been long under the inspection and influence of such a teacher, how weak and defective were they in knowledge, and gifts and graces! How ignorant and forgetful were they! How slow of heart to understand and believe! And what blunders did they make! Dull scholars it would seem they were and bad proficients. But their hearts being upright with him, he did not cast them off, nor turn them out of his school, but rectified their mistakes, instructed them in their duty, and the doctrine they were to preach, by precept upon precept, and line upon line; and taught them, as they were able to bear it, as one that considered their frame, and could "have compassion on the ignorant and on them that were out of the way." As long as he was with them, so long he suffered them. This, as it is a great encouragement to Christian learners, is a great example to Christian teachers. Also Christ was meek, in his forgiving and passing by their unkindness and disrespect to himself. He was not extreme to mark what they did amiss of this kind. When Peter, James and John, were with him in the garden and very unreasonably slept while he was in his agony praying, so little concerned did they seem to be for him, yet observe how meekly he spoke to them: "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" And when they had not a word to say for themselves, he apologizes for them saying, "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." When Peter had denied him, and had cursed and sworn he did not know him, than which nothing could be more unkind, with what meekness did he bear it! It is not said, the Lord turned and frowned upon Peter, though he deserved to be frowned into hell, but, "the Lord turned and looked upon Peter," and that look recovered him into the way to Heaven; it was a kind look, and not an angry one. 3. He was very meek toward his enemies, that hated and persecuted him. The whole story of his life is filled with instances of invincible meekness. While he "endured the contradiction of sinners against himself," he had a perpetual serenity and harmony within, and was never in the least discomposed by it. When his preaching and miracles were caviled at and reproached, and he himself represented under the blackest characters, not only as the drunkard's companion, but as the Devil's confederate, with what wonderful calmness did he bear it! How mildly did he answer with reason and tenderness, when he could have replied in thunder and lightning! How well satisfied under all such invidious reflections, with this, that "wisdom is justified of her children!" When some of his disciples would have had fire from heaven upon those rude people that refused him entertainment in their town, he was so far from complying with the motion, that he rebuked it: "ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." The design of Christ and his holy religion is to shape men into a mild and merciful temper, and to make them sensibly tender of the lives and comfort even of their worst enemies. Christianity was intended to revive humanity, and make those men who had made themselves beasts. But our Lord Jesus did in a more especial manner evidence his meekness when he was in his last sufferings—that awful scene. Though he was the most innocent and excellent person that ever was, who by the doctrine he had preached and the miracles he had wrought, had richly deserved all the honors that the world could pay him; and though the injuries he received were ingeniously and industriously contrived to the highest degree of affront and provocation; yet he bore all with an undisturbed meekness, and with that shield quenched all the fiery darts which his enemies shot at him. His meekness toward his enemies appeared in what he said to them—not one angry word, in the midst of all the indignities they offered him. "When he was reviled he reviled not again." When he was buffeted, and spit upon, and abused, he took it all patiently. Witness that mild reply to him that smote him: "If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil; but if well why smitest thou me?" Also his meekness toward his enemies appeared in what he said to God for them: "Father, forgive them;" so giving an example to his own rule: "Pray for them that despitefully use you." Now in all these things our Master has left us an example. Are we not called Christians from Christ whom we call Master and Lord, and shall we not endeavor to accommodate ourselves to him? We profess to rejoice in him as our forerunner, and shall we not run after him? To what purpose were we enlisted under his banner, but that we should follow him as our leader? We have reason all of us to say that Jesus Christ is very meek, or else we that have provoked him so much and so often, would have before this been carried away with a swift destruction, and dealt with according to the desert of our sins, which if duly considered, one would think should tend greatly to soften us. That we may not forfeit our interest in his meekness, let us tread in the steps of it; and as ever we hope to be like him in glory hereafter, let us study to be like him in this grace now. —M. Henry.