Saturday, July 23, 2011

His heart was with the common people



Many men have concealed inordinate pride beneath a crouching manner, mimicking humility while harbouring arrogance. While their spirit has been full of imperial despotism they have pretended to be the friends of the people, and have talked like the veriest demagogues. Not so our truthful Master. He was “meek and lowly in heart.” To him association with the poor and sinful was no affectation of condescension, he was already on their level in intense sympathy with their sorrows.

His heart was with the common people. He did not force himself down from a natural haughtiness to a constrained contact with the lowly, but he became a real friend of sinners, and a willing companion of the needy. He rejoiced in spirit when he said, “Father, I thank thee, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” His heart was meek and lowly: it was his very nature to be clear of anger and pride, passion, and enmity.

From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "The Heart of Jesus," delivered April 6, 1873. Image by Tom BKK on Flickr under Creative Commons License.

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