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LEGITIMATE AMBITION ILLUSTRATED
THE corruption of the heart, like fire in flint, generally lies concealed, till, by a collision with some particular circumstances, it is elicited; and then it comes forth with a power capable of producing the most fatal effects. Till James and John had applied to the Lord Jesus for the two highest places in his kingdom, the other ten Disciples appeared content with any lot that should be assigned them: but when they had reason to apprehend that their more aspiring brethren might be placed above them, they were filled with indignation against them, and were ready to dispute and quarrel with them for precedency. Then they shewed, that they themselves were as much actuated by ambition as the others; and were quite as averse to yield, as the others were anxious to obtain, the highest place of dignity and power. Unconscious of the evil that existed in themselves, they were soon offended at it in others: and it is observable, that we are never more easily offended, than when we behold in others the evil that is predominant in ourselves; so blind are we in our judgment, and so partial in our decisions.
But our blessed Lord gently corrected the errors of his Disciples; he shewed them, that they were altogether wrong in indulging such a desire after earthly distinctions; and that, if they would affect superiority at all, the only ambition that became them was to excel in works and labours of love. This, which we may call legitimate ambition, he illustrated in a way,
I. Of contrast—
The men of this world affect and exercise a lordly authority—
[Kings are rarely content with the measure of power with which they are invested by the laws, but are for the most part desirous of extending their prerogative; and not uncommonly they imagine, that they themselves are exalted, in proportion to the degree of power that they are able to exert. Nor does it in general suffice them to govern their own subjects: they too often wish to interfere with other potentates, and to controul the acts of other sovereigns. The subjugation of other states, is in their eyes a source of enviable aggrandisement: and the greater success they have in prosecuting their ambitious projects, the more restless they become; till at last universal empire is scarce sufficient to satiate their desires. A fear of losing their own possessions, imposes indeed on many a salutary restraint: but where no such ground of fear exists, the tyrannical dispositions of men know no bounds. What the human heart is capable of, may be seen in Nebuchadnezzar; who ordered all the wise men in his dominions to be put to death, because they could not tell him a dream of his, which he himself had forgotten; and again commanded all who would not fall down and worship a golden image which he had set up, to be cast into a fiery furnace: in a word, “all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him; whom he would, he slew; and whom he would, be kept alive [Note: Dan_2:12-13; Dan_3:2-7; Dan_5:19.].”
The same dispositions are observable also in subordinate governors, and in all who are invested with authority: there is in every one a proneness to extend his power, and to make his own will the rule and reason of action to those around him: and the greater measure of despotism any one is able to exercise, the more he conceives himself to be exalted in the scale of being.]
But the very reverse of this should be the practice of God’s people—
[We say not that a Christian may not be a king: (would to God that all the kings upon earth were Christians!) nor do we think it wrong for them to maintain the power assigned them by the laws: for they are invested with power by God himself, in order that they may exercise it for their people’s good. Nor do we conceive that Christians of an inferior order should decline all offices of trust and power; or that power should not be exercised over the Church of God: for every society must be governed by laws: and it is desirable that the execution of the laws should be entrusted to those who will most consult the glory of God. But this we say, that no man should affect power under an idea that happiness consists in the possession of it, or that he himself is elevated and ennobled by it; nor indeed for any other end, than as it may be instrumental to the advancing of God’s honour, and the happiness of mankind. The Christian’s must be the very reverse of that which we have seen to be the habit of the world. What worldly men affect, he must despise: and what they exact of others, he must, of his own mind and will, cheerfully render to all around him. Instead of wishing to enslave others, he must willingly make himself, so to speak, a slave to others; and account it his highest honour to render services even to the least and meanest of mankind: he must be the minister of all, the servant of all [Note: ä ï ῦ ë ï ò imports a servant who was also his master’s property.].]
Our Lord proceeded to illustrate this idea further, in a way,
II. Of comparison—
Our blessed Lord has exhibited a perfect pattern for his people—
[He was, in a sense that none other can be, “the Son of Man:” he was, as the Jews themselves understood that name to mean, the Son of God, even God himself [Note: Luk_22:69-70.]. Yet “he, though being in the form of God, and counting it not robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful men:” and, instead of appearing in outward pomp and splendour, and having the great men of the earth in his retinue, he came to minister unto his own rebellious creatures: yea, he waited upon them continually, “going about through all the towns and villages to do good” to their bodies and their souls. On his own immediate Disciples too he waited, condescending even to wash their feet. Nor did he only spend his life in the service of mankind, but at last laid down his life for them, to ransom their souls from death and hell. No sacrifice was too great for him to make for their welfare, no suffering too heavy for him to endure. He “bare their infirmities and sorrows” by tender sympathy, and “he bare also their sins in his own body on the tree;” enduring in his own person the curse due to them, that they through him might inherit eternal blessedness [Note: 2Co_5:21.].]
To resemble him should be the summit of our ambition—
[As to the ends and purposes of his humiliation, he must for ever stand alone: for “no man can redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him [Note: Psa_49:7.].” But we may “bear one another’s burthens;” and we ought to do so; for this is the law imposed on us by Christ himself [Note: Gal_6:2.]: we may consider all our faculties, and time, and wealth, and influence as talents committed to our care, to be improved for God and for the benefit of our fellow-creatures: we may value them all, only as means of doing good: we may make the good of others to be the great business and end of our lives, and study by all possible means to promote the comfort of their bodies, and the salvation of their souls. We may cheerfully submit to sacrifice our ease, our reputation, our liberty, yea, our very lives, in their service: yes; we may, and “we ought to, lay down our lives for the brethren,” if by such a sacrifice we may promote their eternal interests [Note: 1Jn_3:16.]. Here, I say, is scope for our ambition: nor can we possibly be too ardent in such a career as that. We must not indeed labour even in such a way for the honour that cometh of man: to be aspiring after eminence with a view to man’s applause, would vitiate all the actions that we could ever perform, and deprive us of all hope of acceptance with God: but, if we abound in works and labours of love for the honour of God and the good of man, then, the more numerous and self-denying those labours are, the more exalted shall we be in the estimation of God himself; and if we would possess the most distinguished place in his kingdom, this is the legitimate and the only method to obtain it. We know that the Apostle Paul was “not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles:” and the reason was, that “he laboured more abundantly than they all,” and rendered both to God and man the greatest measure of difficult and self-denying services [Note: 2Co_11:5; 2Co_11:22-28.]. In a word, he most resembled his Divine Master: and in proportion as we also resemble Christ, will be our real dignity and honour.]
From this subject we may learn,
1. The true nature of Christian morality—
[The generality of Christians have a scheme of morals scarcely elevated beyond the systems which were established by heathen philosophers: their morality is a system of pride; and, however wide its circumference, every line of it centres in self. But the morality of the Gospel is founded in humility, and, in every part of it, has respect to the glory of God. It requires us “not to live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rose again” — — — Were this more considered amongst us, we should not hear of persons founding their hopes of acceptance on their morality: for, where is there one who has regulated his life by this standard? If we try our morals by this touchstone, we shall see that the very best of us needs a Saviour, as much as the vilest of the human race — — — Let us remember then what true morality is, and labour to attain its utmost heights.]
2. The diversified uses that we are to make of our Saviour’s death—
[Doubtless the first great use that we are to make of it, is, to trust in it for our reconciliation with God. We all have sold ourselves to sin and Satan, and must all look to his blood as the price paid for our redemption. No other ransom ever was, or ever can be, paid for our souls: in that therefore must be all our hope, and trust, and confidence — — — But in the death of Christ we have also an assemblage of every virtue that suffering humanity can exercise. In that we have a pattern of all that is great and glorious; a patience invincible, a love that passes the comprehension either of men or angels. To that therefore we must look as to the pattern to which we are to be conformed: and though it is not possible that we should ever come near to his perfection, yet we must aspire after it; and, setting him ever before our eyes, must endeavour in all things to “walk as he walked.”]
3. The criterion whereby we are to judge of our spirit and conduct—
[It is often difficult to ascertain the precise quality of our own actions; but here are two things, by which, as by a rule or plummet, we may be enabled to form a correct judgment. Let us compare our spirit and conduct with that which is discernible in worldly men: and we may be nearly sure, that, if we resemble them, we are wrong. Let us next turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and see what his spirit and conduct were on similar occasions: and we may safely conclude, that we are right or wrong, in proportion as we resemble him, or differ from him. We do not undertake to say, that these tests are infallible in all cases; because a worldly man may sometimes do what is materially right, though from a wrong principle; and because the cases between our Lord and ourselves may not be sufficiently parallel: but the person who will habituate himself to try his spirit by these tests, will have a light, which will assist him in the most intricate paths, and preserve him from innumerable errors, into which he would fall, if he had no such clew to guide him. And let not this hint be overlooked; for, “who can understand his errors?” On many occasions, the Apostles themselves “knew not what spirit they were of.” Had they on the present occasion reflected either on the conduct of the world, or on the conduct of their Lord, they would have been kept from proud ambition on the one hand, and from envious indignation on the other. Whilst therefore we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us be thankful for any subordinate means of ascertaining his mind and will: and let us endeavour so to walk, that Christ himself may testify concerning us, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”]