All I can say about this post is "Beautiful". I'm writing it, but I got the story from a good friend of mine and I write it, weeping in my heart because of God's grace and sovereignty. Yesterday in my youth group, our youth pastor taught a lesson about Jesus. Jesus was Man, Servant, God and King all in one. He was born of a woman (making him a human being) yet he was God in the flesh - perfectly sinless. He was King of the Jews, yet he served human kind. Here's the passage, it's John 13:1-12.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Here we see Jesus - God - the King - washing his disciples feet. But he did more than that, really. He became lowly and acted as Man and Servant. I can't describe the awe I feel by just reading this passage. Neither could my youth pastor, all he could do was try and fathom the whole of it to us in class this morning. My Jesus, my perfect, precious Jesus washed 12 pairs of dirty, grimy, desert-dirt matted feet. There was scrubbing and serious pedicure work needed, y'all! These were fishermen and working guys, out in the hot sun, sweaty, and wearing sandals all day. And Jesus, the King of Kings, washed their feet. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have been first in line to do that task. But what Jesus did for us on the cross was ten times tougher than what washing feet seems! He took all our filth and all our grime and laid it upon himself. The thing that makes me want to cry is that Jesus washed Judas's feet also. Judas was possessed by the devil at this time (see verse 2 up there). He was so far gone, Satan had taken over him, and here Jesus sits washing Judas's feet. No, Jesus wasn't washing "Satan's" feet. But think of how humble Jesus was to sit there and have Satan stare down at him from inside Judas's heart. Think of how humble Jesus was to wash his betrayer's feet. I don't know about y'all, but I DO NOT hold that kind of humility within myself. So, even though Judas would betray Jesus soon, Jesus still let him know "I love you, Judas, and you can still repent. There's still an opportunity to turn back and I don't want you to lay it aside." But Judas still decided to give Jesus over to the bad guys. And Jesus already KNEW what Judas would choose! Jesus was more humble, more sovereign than any of us could ever try to be! We are so selfish these days -"I'm having a bad week" or "I don't like what the preacher's saying, I could be doing better things right now. I shouldn't have to listen to this." or "I'm soooooooooooo tired!" There's alot of 'I's' in there, if you didn't notice. Y'all, we are so selfish, it hurts. Jesus bent down as a servant, but being GOD, and he washed the sinner's feet. I've already admitted it would be tough for me to do that. But no, Jesus sat right down there and served them without complaint, he did it joyfully. It makes me so sad to see my utter selfishness displayed on a daily basis when Jesus was King, but acted as Servant that day, and every day of his life for that matter.
This week, a guy who I knew from my friend's church in Lubbock died. I didn't know him very well, but he was only 19 years old, and he passed away from this life. He's now in Heaven. He's home! But there's a deep hurt for my friends who knew him better that I did, and I hurt also, because he was so young. He had just been given the job of an usher at their church, and it was an honor for him to be able to serve Christ in the church. He loved God so much. You could see it in the way he lived. He was in this world, but not of this world, and he lived selflessly. He wasn't perfect, but he was an example to the other kids in that church, and he still remains to be an example. Think about this word - selfless. I know very few people who are selfless. I know MANY people who are selfish, including myself! We have many people in this world who show forth a great and exalted figure to the world. They're active and athletic and they are an idol to the world. But great as those people may be, they lack humility and meekness. They are filled with pride and are excited to take the glory, but disgusted by the thought of themselves washing their neighbor's feet. Jesus took his task and he was honored to be humble. He was honored to be God, and act as the servant. That makes him sovereign and that makes him my GOD and KING. His act was beautiful.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Here we see Jesus - God - the King - washing his disciples feet. But he did more than that, really. He became lowly and acted as Man and Servant. I can't describe the awe I feel by just reading this passage. Neither could my youth pastor, all he could do was try and fathom the whole of it to us in class this morning. My Jesus, my perfect, precious Jesus washed 12 pairs of dirty, grimy, desert-dirt matted feet. There was scrubbing and serious pedicure work needed, y'all! These were fishermen and working guys, out in the hot sun, sweaty, and wearing sandals all day. And Jesus, the King of Kings, washed their feet. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have been first in line to do that task. But what Jesus did for us on the cross was ten times tougher than what washing feet seems! He took all our filth and all our grime and laid it upon himself. The thing that makes me want to cry is that Jesus washed Judas's feet also. Judas was possessed by the devil at this time (see verse 2 up there). He was so far gone, Satan had taken over him, and here Jesus sits washing Judas's feet. No, Jesus wasn't washing "Satan's" feet. But think of how humble Jesus was to sit there and have Satan stare down at him from inside Judas's heart. Think of how humble Jesus was to wash his betrayer's feet. I don't know about y'all, but I DO NOT hold that kind of humility within myself. So, even though Judas would betray Jesus soon, Jesus still let him know "I love you, Judas, and you can still repent. There's still an opportunity to turn back and I don't want you to lay it aside." But Judas still decided to give Jesus over to the bad guys. And Jesus already KNEW what Judas would choose! Jesus was more humble, more sovereign than any of us could ever try to be! We are so selfish these days -"I'm having a bad week" or "I don't like what the preacher's saying, I could be doing better things right now. I shouldn't have to listen to this." or "I'm soooooooooooo tired!" There's alot of 'I's' in there, if you didn't notice. Y'all, we are so selfish, it hurts. Jesus bent down as a servant, but being GOD, and he washed the sinner's feet. I've already admitted it would be tough for me to do that. But no, Jesus sat right down there and served them without complaint, he did it joyfully. It makes me so sad to see my utter selfishness displayed on a daily basis when Jesus was King, but acted as Servant that day, and every day of his life for that matter.
This week, a guy who I knew from my friend's church in Lubbock died. I didn't know him very well, but he was only 19 years old, and he passed away from this life. He's now in Heaven. He's home! But there's a deep hurt for my friends who knew him better that I did, and I hurt also, because he was so young. He had just been given the job of an usher at their church, and it was an honor for him to be able to serve Christ in the church. He loved God so much. You could see it in the way he lived. He was in this world, but not of this world, and he lived selflessly. He wasn't perfect, but he was an example to the other kids in that church, and he still remains to be an example. Think about this word - selfless. I know very few people who are selfless. I know MANY people who are selfish, including myself! We have many people in this world who show forth a great and exalted figure to the world. They're active and athletic and they are an idol to the world. But great as those people may be, they lack humility and meekness. They are filled with pride and are excited to take the glory, but disgusted by the thought of themselves washing their neighbor's feet. Jesus took his task and he was honored to be humble. He was honored to be God, and act as the servant. That makes him sovereign and that makes him my GOD and KING. His act was beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment