Christ’s Example
Taken from the book, “Behold Mine Eyes Have Seen Thy Salvation”
“After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, ‘Lord, are You going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.’…When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ He asked them. ‘You call Me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’ ”
JOHN 13:5-8; 12-15 NIV
People get uncomfortable around Jesus because He doesn’t fit into the way they see things, plan things, and do things. With our natural minds, we can never really understand what Jesus is all about. When we place Him next to our human plumb lines, He appears to be on a slant to the way we function; when we put a level next to Him, He looks out of balance to the way we react; when we put a ruler on Him, He doesn’t seem to measure up to the way we go about our business. Jesus’ entire life has been an enigma to many. The natural mind asks, “How could a prince be born outside a palace, a teacher have no degree, a king have no army, a ruler have no place to lay his head, and a miracle worker be unable to come down from a cross?”
When we see the way that Jesus responded to His disciples as they gathered for the Passover, we are once again amazed at His behavior. Even Peter could not fully grasp it. Peter saw himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master. “Why” he questioned, “would my Master take the place of a slave and wash my feet?” Peter had been with Jesus for more than three years but still had many things to learn. As Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was doing far more than teaching them a lesson in humility; He was demonstrating to them what was at the heart of the Kingdom of God. The message of the Kingdom is that every follower of Jesus Christ carries a towel and washbasin with him into every circumstance and relationship in life. Jesus showed us that the Kingdom of God is “upside down” to the way the world operates.
In the Kingdom of God… …a person is lifted up by humbling himself, not by exalting himself in the eyes of others. …strength is found through weakness, not by being confident in your own abilities. …fullness comes by becoming empty, not by running after pleasure. …life is gained by losing it, not by looking out for “number one.” …riches come by giving them away, not by storing them up. …greatness comes by becoming a servant, not by seeking power and celebrity.
By Roy Lessin