A Crown of Humility

Not in our century and not in our country, a man once rose up from an evening meal, removed his outer cloak and wrapped a towel around his waist. He filled a basin with water and one by one washed the feet of each guest, drying their feet with the towel. Oddly, this man was also a guest. No, he was more than a guest. The other guests were his closest followers, and he was their teacher.

Had an onlooker peeked inside, he would not have gasped at the obvious reversal of roles. He would have seen an ordinary-looking man washing the feet of ordinary-looking guests according to the custom of the day. Yet, the disciples knew that the foot-washer, Jesus, was no ordinary man. They had witnessed His miracles, had listened to His teachings, had been given authority by Him. Even so, not everything about Jesus fit their expectations.

They called him Lord and Teacher. Yet He washed their feet. There were twelve men who had supper with Jesus, twelve pairs of feet…

… Judas, Thaddeus, Simon,

… James the Lesser, Bartholomew,

… Matthew, Thomas, Philip,

… John, James, Andrew, Peter.

One would betray him; 

     one would openly deny him; 

          all would run away.

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Do not misunderstand. Jesus was not downtrodden, worn out, or depressed. He had not been beaten by the enemy. He had not been demoted. He was not a broken shell of a man who was now resigning himself to his pitiful lot in life as a house servant.

He was the Messiah, the anointed one, Son of David: the coming King. He was Deity in the flesh. And without removing his identity and without removing his role, He clothed himself with humility and became a servant.

Did anyone in that room understand what had happened?

Was anyone moved by this act of humility?

Was anyone just a little embarrassed?

Divine Royalty stooped to the ground to perform the task of an insignificant servant.

He calls his disciples today to follow in his footsteps, to humble themselves as servants.

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No one is asked to remove his/her role in life as husband/father, wife/mother, elder, deacon, preacher, CEO, president, director, foreman, owner, employer, student, teacher, laborer, or any other role. However, the call IS to stoop down and, without removing your role, clothe yourself with humility, and imitate the Master.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

--Philippians 2:4-8

Our King crowned Himself with humility. What is your response to our Teacher, our Master?

Mark Stinnett

July 14, 2024