LOOSING THE SHOE-LATCHET
Loosing the Shoe-Latchet
Charles H. Spurgeon
Luke 3:16
It was not John's business to attract followers to
himself but to point them to Jesus, and he very
faithfully discharged his commission. His opinion of
his Master, of whom he was the herald, was a very high
one; he reverenced Him as the anointed of the Lord,
the King of Israel, and, consequently, he was not
tempted into elevating himself into a rival. He
rejoiced to declare "he must increase but I must
decrease." In the course of his self-depreciation, he
uses the expression of our text, which is recorded by
each one of the evangelists, with some little
variation. Matthew words it, "whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear"; he was not fit to fetch his Lord His
shoes. Mark writes it "whose shoes I am not worthy to
stoop down and unloose"; and John has it very much as
in Luke. This putting on, and taking off and putting
away of sandals, was an office usually left to menial
servants, it was not a work of any repute or honor,
yet the Baptist felt that it would be a great honor to
be even a menial servant of the Lord Jesus. He felt
that the Son of God was so infinitely superior to
himself that he was honored if only permitted to be
the meanest slave in His employ. He would not allow
men to attempt comparisons between himself and Jesus,
he felt that none could, for a moment, be allowed. Now
this honest estimate of himself as less than nothing
in comparison with his Master is greatly to be
imitated by us. John is to be commended and admired
for this, but better still he is to be carefully
copied.
Remember that John was by no means an inferior man.
Among all that had been born of women before his time
there had not been a greater than he. He was the
subject of many prophecies, and his office was a
peculiarly noble one; he was the friend of the great
Bridegroom, and introduced Him to His chosen bride. He
was the morning star of the gospel day, bu ...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Luke 3:16
It was not John's business to attract followers to
himself but to point them to Jesus, and he very
faithfully discharged his commission. His opinion of
his Master, of whom he was the herald, was a very high
one; he reverenced Him as the anointed of the Lord,
the King of Israel, and, consequently, he was not
tempted into elevating himself into a rival. He
rejoiced to declare "he must increase but I must
decrease." In the course of his self-depreciation, he
uses the expression of our text, which is recorded by
each one of the evangelists, with some little
variation. Matthew words it, "whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear"; he was not fit to fetch his Lord His
shoes. Mark writes it "whose shoes I am not worthy to
stoop down and unloose"; and John has it very much as
in Luke. This putting on, and taking off and putting
away of sandals, was an office usually left to menial
servants, it was not a work of any repute or honor,
yet the Baptist felt that it would be a great honor to
be even a menial servant of the Lord Jesus. He felt
that the Son of God was so infinitely superior to
himself that he was honored if only permitted to be
the meanest slave in His employ. He would not allow
men to attempt comparisons between himself and Jesus,
he felt that none could, for a moment, be allowed. Now
this honest estimate of himself as less than nothing
in comparison with his Master is greatly to be
imitated by us. John is to be commended and admired
for this, but better still he is to be carefully
copied.
Remember that John was by no means an inferior man.
Among all that had been born of women before his time
there had not been a greater than he. He was the
subject of many prophecies, and his office was a
peculiarly noble one; he was the friend of the great
Bridegroom, and introduced Him to His chosen bride. He
was the morning star of the gospel day, bu ...
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