"At His Feet"

Orientals are demonstrative, and in their devotions they pay greater attention to bodily posture than we do. Let us be the more careful of the posture of our souls.

It is interesting to consider our posture towards our Lord.

He bears us on his heart (Solomon’s Song 8:6), in his bosom (Is. 40:11), in his hand (Is. 49:2, 51:16), on his shoulders (Luke 15:5).

But yet “at his feet” is our most usual place.

I. IT IS A BECOMING POSTURE.

The posture is admirable for many reasons.

1. As he is divine, let us pay him lowliest reverence.

2. As we are sinful, let us make humble confession.

3. As he is Lord, let us make full submission.

4. As he is All in All, let us manifest immovable dependence.

5. As he is infinitely wise, let us wait his appointed time.

   • The best are at his feet joyfully, bowing before him.
   • The worst must come there, whether they will or no.

II. IT IS A HELPFUL POSTURE.

1. For a weeping penitent (Luke 7:38).

   • Our humility will help penitence.
   • Our lowly submission will bring assurance.
   • Our full obeisance will prepare for service.

2. For a resting convert (Luke 8:35).

   • In such a position devils are driven out, and no longer rule us.
   • In such a position they are kept off, and cannot return.
   • In such a position we give the best proof of being in our right mind.

3. For a pleading intercessor (Luke 8:41).

   • We plead best when we are lowliest.
   • We may be rulers of the synagogue, but when our heart is breaking we find most hope “at his feet.”

4. For a willing learner (Luke 10:39). Mary “at his feet” showed—

   • A lowly sense of personal ignorance.
   • A believing acceptance of the Lord’s teaching.
   • A hopeful uplooking to him.

5. For a grateful worshiper (Luke 17:16).

   • So the healed leper expressed his thanks.
   • So angels adore, giving him thanks, while bending low.
   • So would our hearts bow in unutterable gratitude.

6. For a saint beholding his Lord’s glory (Revelation 1:17).

   • Overwhelmed, humbled, overjoyed, exhausted with excess of ecstasy.
   • Come, then, and submit to Jesus, and bow at his feet.
   • He is so worthy: pay him all reverence.
   • He has received from you so much despite: kiss his feet.
   • He will so freely forgive: this may well cause you to bow in the dust before him.
   • He will give you such joy: in fact, no joy excels that of full submission to his blessed sway.

III. IT IS A SAFE POSTURE.

1. Jesus will not refuse us that position, for it is one which we ought to occupy.

2. Jesus will not spurn the humbly submissive, who in self-despair cast themselves before him.

3. Jesus will not suffer any to harm those who seek refuge at his feet.

4. Jesus will not deny us the eternal privilege of abiding there.

   • Let this be our continual posture—“at his feet.”
   • Sorrowing or rejoicing; hoping or fearing;
   • Suffering or working; teaching or learning;
   • In secret or in public; in life and in death.
   • “Oh, that I might forever sit
   • With Mary at the Master’s feet.”

Clippings

In order that the mats or carpets, which are hallowed by domestic prayer, may not be rendered unclean by any pollution of the streets, each guest, as he enters a house in Syria or Palestine, takes off his sandals, and leaves them at the door. He then proceeds to his place at the table. In ancient times, as we find throughout the Old Testament, it was the custom of the Jews to eat their meals sitting cross legged—as is still common throughout the East—in front of a tray placed on a low stool, on which is set the dish containing the heap of food, from which all help themselves in common. But this custom, though it has been resumed for centuries, appears to have been abandoned by the Jews in the period succeeding the captivity. Whether they had borrowed the recumbent posture at meals from the Persians, or not, it is certain, from the expressions employed, that, in the time of our Lord, the Jews, like the Greeks and Romans, reclined at banquets, upon couches placed round tables of much the same height as those now in use. We shall see, hereafter, that even the Passover was eaten in this attitude. The beautiful, and profoundly moving incident, which occurred in Simon’s house, can only be understood by remembering that, as the guests lay on the couches which surrounded the tables, their feet would be turned towards any spectators who were standing outside the circle of bidden guests.—Archdeacon Farrar.

Artabanus, one of the military officers of the Athenians, was applied to by a certain great man, who told him that he desired an audience of the king. He was answered that, before it was granted, he must prostrate himself before him, for it was a custom of the country for the king to admit no one to his presence who would not worship him. That which was an arrogant assumption in an earthly king is a proper condition of our approach to the King of kings. Humility is the foundation of our fellowship with him. We must bow before his throne. No sinner who is too proud to yield obedience to this law may expect any favors from his hands.—Handbook of Illustration.

When the Danish missionaries, stationed at Malabar, set some of their converts to translate a catechism, in which it was asserted that believers become the sons of God, one of the translators was so startled that he suddenly laid down his pen, and exclaimed, “It is too much. Let me rather render it, ‘They shall be permitted to kiss his feet.’ “—G. S. Bowes.

The Rev. Mr. Young was, one stormy day, visiting one of his people, an old man, who lived in great poverty, in a lonely cottage, a few miles from Jedburgh. He found him sitting with the Bible open on his knees, but in outward circumstances of great discomfort, the snow drifting through the roof, and under the door, and scarcely any fire on the hearth. “What are you about today, John?” was Mr. Young’s question on entering. “Ah! sir,” said the happy saint, “I’m sitting under his shadow, wi’ great delight.”—The Christian Treasury.

The end of all Christian preaching is to cast the sinner trembling at the feet of mercy.—Vinet.

Low at Your feet my soul would lie.

Here safety dwells, and peace divine; Still let me live beneath Your eye,

For life, eternal life, is Your.

—Anne Steels.