AUGUST 28, 2014
A
Picture Of Humility
Read: John
13:1-11
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. —James 4:6
During the Easter
season, my wife and I attended a church service where the participants sought
to model the events that Jesus and His disciples experienced on the night
before He was crucified. As part of the service, the church staff members
washed the feet of some of the church volunteers. As I watched, I wondered
which was more humbling in our day—to wash another person’s feet or to have
someone else wash yours. Both those who were serving and those being served
were presenting distinct pictures of humility.
When Jesus and His
disciples were gathered for the Last Supper (John 13:1-20), Jesus, in humble
servanthood, washed His disciples’ feet. But Simon Peter resisted, saying, “You
shall never wash my feet!” Then Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have
no part with Me” (13:8). Washing their feet was not a mere ritual. It could
also be seen as a picture of our need of Christ’s cleansing—a cleansing that
will never be realized unless we are willing to be humble before the Savior.
James wrote, “God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We receive God’s grace
when we acknowledge the greatness of God, who humbled Himself at the cross
(Phil. 2:5-11).
My faith looks up to
Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me when I
pray, take all my sin away,
O let me from this day
be wholly Thine! —Palmer
The most powerful
position on earth is kneeling before the Lord of the universe.
Insight
In ancient Israel, the
task of foot-washing was necessary because of the open shoes worn in streets
filled with dirt and refuse. Because it was such an unpleasant task, it was
usually assigned to the lowest servant in the house. Here Jesus Himself
performed this menial job (John 13:3-5).
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
