Read: John 13:1-3
The
beginning of chapter 13 offers important insights into the mind of Jesus.
Insights that help us understand why He was willing to wash the disciples' feet
and, more importantly, to lay down His life. Insights that may also reveal why
the rest of us often struggle to serve the needs of others selflessly.
John tells us that Jesus knew:
- That
His hour had come (13:1)
- That
the Father had given all things into His hands (13:3)
- That
He had come from God (13:3)
- That
He was going back to God (13:3)
It
all comes down to personal security. Jesus was the only completely secure human
being ever to live. He was secure in His
Father’s provision and timing. He was secure in His own position. And He was
secure in His ultimate destiny.
With
security comes the freedom to be humble. An entirely secure person has nothing
to prove and no one to impress, but it's difficult for an insecure person to be
humble. Insecure people are so concerned
with their own standing and position that they cannot risk humility and the
acts of service it might require.
Jesus
could kneel and wash the disciples' feet and endure the shame and humiliation
of the cross because He knew who He was, Who had sent Him, and where He was
going. Humility is the faith to believe that God has not forgotten you. It is the faith to say, "I know I am
God's and He is mine." Without
faith in God's love, it is not just difficult; it is impossible to be
humble. Without humility, we can never
stoop to the level of service Jesus modeled and called us to practice. That is
why the writer of Hebrews tells us that "without faith it is impossible to
please God" (Hebrews 11:6).
Do
you know who you are? More importantly, do you know Whose you are? Are you
living with the confidence that God has given you everything you need to live
in complete obedience to Him? Do you struggle with personal insecurities? Maybe
you are compensating by working hard to convince others that you are strong
enough, smart enough, resourceful enough, but in your effort to prove yourself,
you’ve failed to take up the towel and basin.
Father,
Give me the faith to be
completely secure in You.
Forgive my insecurities and fears and the
doubt they reveal.
Give me the humility of
Christ
and the confidence of knowing You even as He
knows You.
Amen
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