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Pride - The Lesson

Lucifer was once an honored angel, a cherub. He was perfect in beauty, full of wisdom, and was admitted to the holy mountain of God, where he walked in the midst of the stones of fire. He was in Eden, the garden of God, of which the one on earth was evidently a copy. His ways were perfect, and God gave him the work of "covering," and also anointed him.

But Lucifer was not satisfied. He was envious of God, he became lifted up because of his beauty; he corrupted his wisdom because of his brightness, and decided upon a course which he hoped would make him equal to God. He went so far that he said, "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God."

Christ's disciples were not exempt from the desire to have a high place. The Gospels mention several occasions on which there was dispute as to who should be the greatest. One such occurrence is recorded in Mark 9:33-35: "He came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way! But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." Jesus had His own way of dealing with such as wished to "show off." Note this incident. Once when Jesus had fed the five thousand in the wilderness, He sent the disciples away in the boat, and He went up into the mountain to pray. While He was praying a storm arose, and the twelve had a hard time rowing. Toward morning Jesus came walking to them on the water. The disciples were troubled, and thought Him to be a spirit. Jesus soon calmed them, and came near the boat. Peter conceived a scheme and cried out, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." Matthew 14:28.

There was no need for this. He could just as well have waited for the Lord to come to the boat, but for some reason he decided that he would like to walk on the water. And Jesus humored him. He could have told Peter to stay in the boat. But Jesus permitted him to come, and Peter started out valiantly. We suppose that it was with some hesitancy that he first put his foot on the water; but the water bore him up and Peter walked toward Jesus. It must have been a proud and triumphant Peter who thus was permitted to go to his Lord across the surging billows.

Years ago we read a comment on this in a little volume written by a devout Christian. It gave an almost humorous slant to this incident. As Peter walked toward Jesus he was thinking of the men back in the boat, and yielded to the very human temptation to look around to see whether they were watching him and admiring the ease with which he could walk on the billows. Had he come back without any mishap, the other disciples would never have heard the last of Peter's exploit. He would continually have talked of the time when he walked on the water—at least until he was thoroughly converted. He would triumphantly have asked the others whether they could do the same.

But in turning to look at the men in the boat Peter had to take his eyes off Jesus. Immediately he sank down. When Peter was helped back into the boat he was a wet and chastened Peter. Apparently he never mentioned the incident again He had learned his lesson. May it not have been for this purpose that Jesus let him walk on the water! May it not be for the same reason that certain things happen to us! Peter is not the only one who needs a lesson of this kind. Too many of us are willing to be admired.

We should not forget that pride was one of the sin that caused the fall of Lucifer. It was the beginning of which the end was rebellion. We need to watch every step we take, lest pride come into the heart.

"Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." Proverbs 16:5. "Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" Proverbs 16:18. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" Luke 14:11. We are counseled, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6. God "shall save the humble person" Job 22:29. With these texts in mind let all serve God with humility, and esteem others better than themselves. This is true Christianity.

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