Self-effacement

by D. Smith, Lerwick | Category: General | Aug 1979

"Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16).

That the Word became flesh and dwelt among men is a profound miracle; a divine act transcending human reason. But the mind is not required to explain it; rather to accept in faith, with deepest gratitude and adoration, the inspired Word: "Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God emptied Himself... and being found in fashion as a Man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-9).

As we view the quiet and obscurity which attended the birth of the Saviour we may well wonder that "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not" (John 1:10). Apart from the shepherds, to whom the angels disclosed the "good tidings of great joy" few, even in Bethlehem, knew that a Saviour who is Christ the Lord had been born that day in the city of David. As we think of the silence of the vast universe which displays with such unblemished excellence the glory of God, we are reminded of the unobtrusive way in which God ushered His Son into the world. "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; their voice cannot be heard" (Psa. 19:2,3). How quietly those mighty orbs move in their circuits telling men that God can display His glory without an irksome noise! So the still and unpretentious character of God was fully exemplified in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. With self-effacing humility He passed through this world not seeking His own glory (John 8:50) nor the empty approval of men (John 5:44). The Lord ever sought the glory of the One who sent Him, and was therefore content to work and move in obscurity, without striving to attract fame or gain popularity among His generation.

It was not because He wished to be a recluse that the Lord so often withdrew from the throng and was found alone in some remote spot, but because He sought the presence of His God and Father. He avoided prominence, unlike the Pharisees who loved "the chief place at the feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues" (Matt. 23:6), and all their works they did to be seen of men.

It is not always easy to detect the motive behind the works of men, to know why sacrifice is made and labour expended, and what induces men to toil and to endure rigour. Paul had to satisfy his own conscience regarding the underlying purpose of all his labour and privation, and frankly concluded that if he lacked love, it profited nothing (1 Cor. 13:3). Does sincere and unfeigned love for the Lord Jesus Christ, for the people and testimony of God, influence our every "work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope"? Or is it a place of pre-eminence and love of self that prompts our zeal, for He who knows "thy works, and thy love" (Rev. 2:19) is not misled by the deeds of men nor deceived by appearances. And, solemn thought, it is He who very shortly "will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts" (1 Cor. 4:5).

The works of men could never compare with the works that the Lord Jesus did when on earth. When the two blind men had their sight restored, "they went forth, and spread abroad His fame in all that land" (Matt. 9:31). But that was not His desire, for He had strictly charged them, saying, "See that no man know it", and in like manner He said to the cleansed leper. "See thou tell no man". How unlike some of those who today endeavour to carry out bodily healing on others! These first extensively advertise their intentions in order to attract a crowd who are often deceived and disappointed with what they see enacted, ostensibly in the Name of the Lord. Realism is submerged in emotional excitement, and sometimes partial relief for the sufferer is obtained. The Lord Jesus, without any desire to make an exhibition or gain fame, performed perfect healing. He restored full soundness of mind and body to all who came to Him.

The self-effacement of the Lord Jesus Christ and the similar example of His apostles condemns for ever the pride that may assert itself in the lives of His disciples, diverting them from the single purpose of His glory and restraining the Spirit from taking the things of Christ and declaring them to the mind of the believer.

The trend of the present day, served by the ever-expanding media, is to elevate man, to highlight his achievements and laud his performance. The believer's spiritual progress or the development of his gift should never lead to self-satisfaction. Such an attitude in a recipient of divine grace will result in his falling away from the living God. It was necessary for the apostle Paul, to whom God had revealed so much regarding the mystery of Christ and the Church and the order of the New Covenant ministry, to experience his need of humility. He explained to the Corinthian saints, "By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations - wherefore, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... that I should not be exalted overmuch" (2 Cor. 12:7). How we need to guard against being exalted overmuch! The believer should walk through this world in humility as a follower of the meek and lowly One, who did "not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street". For God, who wills that we should lead a tranquil and quiet life in this turbulent world, values as of great price, a meek and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:4).

D. Smith, Lerwick | Aug 1979
General