Christ's Rule of Greatness.
By G. I. Butler
IN Matt. 20:20–28, we have a principle set before us that seems to be properly designated as Christ's rule of greatness. We read as follows: "There came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (servant of all. Mark), even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." I have given this long quotation from Scripture, believing that the principle involved is important enough to warrant it. It is evident that a position at the right hand and left hand of the Saviour, near his person, in his kingdom, is a place of special honor. With that natural selfishness innate to the human heart, the mother of James and John, as well as themselves, desired to obtain this position for her sons. The answer of the Saviour seems to imply that there will be some who will obtain this special honor, as though the reward of some would be higher than that of others, but that the Father is the Judge who will bestow these. The Saviour also informs us that the conditions upon which this special honor will be given, are different from those that obtain among the princes of the Gentiles; that is, earthly rulers. We well know how it is arranged in this world among the great. Those persons who are permitted to come especially near the royal persons are those who are great in command among men, such as generals and legislators. But he says it shall not be so among his followers. "Whosoever will be chief, let him be servant of all." And now he gives us the highest illustration possible, viz., his own example. As he is our Master, he has set the example he desires us to follow. And what is it? "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." The very burden and weight we ought to bear, he carried for us, took the lowest place, suffered the most shameful death, and this without murmuring or complaining. What a value he has attached, by this, to genuine humility, and set this grace, as it were, in the highest place! In this scripture our Saviour plainly teaches that those who are willing to suffer most for others' good, and take the lowest, hardest position (and that, no doubt, without grumbling, or murmuring, or boasting of it as though they should receive special consideration because they do, for this would show that the true spirit was lacking), are the ones who, in the final judgment, will stand highest in the favor of God. How important that our eyesight be clear enough, our discernment penetrating enough, and our faith and patience strong enough, to truly appropriate the principles of heaven. What a pity it would be for us to go along deceived by the jingle of bogus coin and reject the true gold of heaven. The principles of self-sacrifice and true humility, resting on the broad foundation of love, must fill our hearts just as they did the heart of our Master. Nothing else will weigh in the balances of the sanctuary. No doubt the course pursued by the mother and children in the scripture above quoted has often looked bad to us, as it did to the ten; but whether in our hearts we have never been actuated by the same principle is another question, and one of some importance to us all. Every effort on our part to show ourselves at a special advantage by fine dress or gay appearance, to get applause to ourselves; every time we try to appear especially smart by words or acts to attract others' attention to us; this principle manifests itself. It is the great principle of selfishness instead of the great principle of love. One is the leading principle of hell, the other of heaven. Which do we possess? But few of us realize the sinfulness of selfishness. We generally think ourselves justified in being tolerably selfish. But what makes our earth to-day the abode of misery and wretchedness? The selfishness of man. Thousands act through life upon this principle, who fail of obtaining what they seek after; but their motives will be seen in the day of judgment to be equally bad as the motives of those who have succeeded, and they will share the same fate. Here in this world we must learn the principles of heaven if we ever go to heaven. Love, undying love, characterized our blessed Saviour in all his life, and in his death, and in his ministration above. He is our highest example. We must follow him if we ever go to the same place. Selfishness, in its varied forms, is eating out the spiritual life of thousands. Even ministers are very liable to be selfish in their labor. Any burden that involves labor, unpleasantness, and extra responsibility, is apt to be shouldered upon others, while we desire those that will bring us a good name and involve less labor and hardship. Selfishness is just as great a sin in these respects as in any other, and worse, because coming from those of whom better things are expected. But let us never forget that the Saviour, in this scripture, has set before us a higher, a nobler principle, and given us to understand that selfishness will not be the principle upon which the Judge of all the earth will act when he metes out the final reward, but its opposite; and that the man who will really "be chief" will here be "servant of all," ready to do the most menial duty, if by so doing God's precious truth may be advanced, or precious souls be saved.