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Text Sermons : J.R. Miller : February 15. Self-Renunciation

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"John answered them all: I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire!" Luke 3:16

There is something very fine in John's behavior on this occasion. The people were expecting Christ, and when John rose up in such brightness they were ready to accept him as the Messiah. So intense was the excitement, so wild was the enthusiasm, that almost the whole nation flocked to the Jordan to see and hear John. One word from him claiming to be the Messiah, would have kindled a feeling among the people which would have crowned him as king. But the picture which we see is this great man pushing away the honors which lay within his grasp, and saying, "Nay, they are not mine to wear; put them on the head of Him who is coming after me."

Many of us are ready to accept honors for ourselves when we are doing Christ's work. We like to have people praise us and commend us. Sometimes we are in danger of striving to get honor for ourselves, rather than to put honor upon Christ! How much more beautiful was John's self-renunciation! It is pleasant when we have helped people, to have them come to us with their grateful tributes, to have them show their love to us and put honor upon us. Let us beware, however, lest we take that which belongs to Christ, and also lest our friends see only us and see not Christ. Let us keep ourselves out of the way, that they may behold Him alone.

Let us remember always that there is One coming after us, yes, standing unseen beside us, while we do our work, who is far mightier than we, and that we should strive only and always to put the honor upon Him, utterly forgetting ourselves. He will look after us and honor us, if we will only seek His honor and never our own. But if we rob Him here of the praise that is His, to wreathe chaplets for our own brow — we shall find ourselves stripped of honor and crown in the day of Christ's manifestation!





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