Humility, Part 81

Biblical humility is quite unlike anything that the world knows. But it is the life of Christ in the believer and it is the emptiness of self in the believer so that Christ may live through it. It becomes obvious; therefore, that apart from humility Christ is not the life of the person. As Jesus taught us we can only have one master. We will either serve self or we will serve Christ. If we serve self, our master is self. If we use religion and the name of God to serve self, self is still the master. But if we are emptied of self and the life of Christ dwells in us, then our very live and master is Christ Himself.

In the last BLOG we looked at Philippians 2:3-8 in an effort to see the humility of Christ and then to see if His humility indeed lived in our own hearts. Rather than humility being something that just happens one time, and rather than it just happening at certain times, for the believer the humility of Christ is to be the very life of Christ in the soul all the time. So if we have Christ dwelling in our souls that very life is the humility of Christ. If Christ lives in our souls, He will be seen and so His humility will be worked in the soul that He dwells in.

John 13:1 – “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

Dare we say that while this appears unspeakable in His humility that this was really nothing compared to the humbling that Jesus went through to take human flesh to Himself and then to humble Himself to go to the cross. However, His humility here is not like that of a religious ritual where one does the ritual in order to obtain something from God rather than manifest the glory of God. But Jesus washed the dirty feet of those sinful and proud disciples of His. Could it be that He washed the feet of Judas who was going to betray Him? Could it be that the very Lord of this universe and the One who upheld it by the word of His power bowed in human flesh and washed the feet of the one who had already decided to betray Him? Oh the depths of the humility of the heart of Christ! Not only did Jesus wash the feet of the disciples who were His friends, but He also washed the feet of the one who hated Him. This was at least one example of Jesus loving His enemies and it required a fathomless humility. We can only stand in awe at what He did as well as the pride in our own hearts.

Mark 10:35 – “James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Christ, the very Lord of all, demonstrated in John 13:1-5 that He was a servant. True greatness is to be the servant of all and to be first in the eyes of God and in His kingdom is to be last. Jesus was the greatest of all because He humbled Himself and served. Not only did He come and live of life of service, but His greatest act of being a Servant was in giving His life a ransom for many. Would you be willing to wash the dusty and dirty feet of a proud group of people? Would you be willing to wash the feet of one who hated you enough to sell you out for some money? Would you for die proud men? The humble Savior did. Do we really have Him in us?

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