Feet

 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?  John 13:12

We love to embrace the character traits of Jesus. His love, His mercy and compassion. His kindness, His strength, His purity. I could go on and on. There really is no end to the make-up of His character and personality. However, I think there is one aspect of who He is that we easily overlook and really aren't that anxious to emulate. His humility. We see that best in the above Scripture. He washes the feet of His disciples. 

The washing of feet was a great part of middle eastern culture. Every visitor to a household was honored with his feet being washed by a household servant. Always the lowliest of the servants. That's the role Jesus took upon Himself. It's a role He calls us to as well. How well do we answer right now? 

Author Chris Tiegreen makes some compelling points about this act of the Lord Jesus. He said as Jesus washed His disciples feet, He knew exactly where those feet would soon be. The feet of Judas would be in the dwelling place of the Pharisees, selling his Lord for 30 pieces of silver. The feet of Peter would be in the courtyard where His trial would take place, as he denied, with a curse, that he even knew Him. The feet of all the others would be found fleeing His presence upon His arrest. Their feet were made unclean by far more than the dirt and dust of the landscape of Israel.  Yet, He was on His knees before them, washing their feet, displaying His love, in complete humility.

Someone said that we'll discover just how much of a servant's heart we have when others begin to treat us like a servant. Servants aren't much noticed and rarely honored. Servants bring no attention to themselves and have as their desire putting all attention upon the ones served. This is hard on the pride within every heart. Can we be honest enough to say it would be hard on ours? That it is hard on ours? Especially if His call to be one involves the washing of the feet of those who have betrayed us, denied us, and abandoned us. I think this is a great reason why humility is not a virtue that we preach and teach a great deal on. Not many of us want to live very deeply in it.

I, like the disciples, have had my feet washed by Him. I, who once rejected Him, who denied Him, mocked Him, ran from Him. So have you. He would have been right to drive us from His presence, but He didn't. Instead, He comes to us with a towel and a basin, and offers to wash the filth of our sin from our souls. Jesus, the King, majestic and glorious, takes on the place of the suffering servant, and washes the feet of those who have been His enemy. Such love, such wondrous love.

As I dwell on all this, I realize how much pride remains in my heart. I realize how little I resemble Him in this. There's still, in too many areas of my life, far too much of me and far too little of Him. Can you say the same? I think you can.

Lord, may you give to me, to us, the heart of John the Baptist, who, when confronted with the ascending of Jesus' ministry and the diminishing of his own said, "I must decrease so that He may increase." Lord make it so in us. May I, may we serve You in humility, with the towel and the basin you call us to.

Blessings,
Pastor O