The Lord says to His people, to all people, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt.11:29). 

Let us look at His lowliness. Let us see how far He has bent down to plant His precious plants in His garden so that they might live. 

The scripture says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8). 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was God and with God eternally, was willing to empty Himself, to humble Himself, to become a man. He who was the Sovereign Ruler, Creator and Maker of all, independent of all, power over all, bends down to become a baby, dependent upon His parents for His very life, and to become a man, under the authority of man, to suffer their abuse and punishment, even for things which He didn't do. 

But oh, He bends lower. He calls Himself a "sheep," an animal. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth" (Isa. 53:7). 

A sheep is an animal that is totally dependent upon its Creator for its survival. It cannot fight. It only can run. But "this Sheep" was forsaken by His God, at the mercy of men, to wound Him, to bruise Him, and to finally kill Him. 

Oh, but He bends lower still. He calls Himself a worm. "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people" (Psa. 22:6). He felt Himself to be helpless and powerless, as a worm trodden under foot. He names the weakest of all creatures, that which is all flesh and becomes writhing, quivering flesh, devoid of any strength, except strength to suffer. 

But this worm is not the earth worm that is used for fishing; this worm means "maggot" in the original language, or larvae of insects, which feed on putrefying matter. The Lord calls Himself this because He has become what we are. "How much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm" (Job 25:6)? He says this because we feed on our own righteousness in our natural state. "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6). This is why no one would ever come to Him unless He made them willing in the day of His power (Ps. 110:3). 

Oh, but look again. He bends lower still. He bends into hell itself. Hell is the separation of the soul from God; a place of no comfort, no joy, no peace, no light, no mercy, no love, and no life, and now we see the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, descending into this pit as God forsakes Him. He suffers our hell so that we may enjoy His heaven. What a Man! What a Savior! What a God! 

This is lowliness of mind, of heart. He would be anything, do anything, to save lost sinners. 

The Lord has sown us in the earth for Himself (Hos. 2:23). We are His plants. Are we bearing His fruit in our times of suffering, glorifying His name, or will He have to say to us, "Israel is an empty vine, he brings forth fruit unto himself" (Hos. 10:1). 

Oh, may we have grace to hear and obey His words. "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart." He became what we are. May we now, by His grace, become as lovely as He is. It will only be true as we "let this mind" be in us.