You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
John 13:13-15

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
John 13:17

Jesus said these things after taking off His robes, stripping down to His tunic, and then washing His disciples’ feet. The custom was that this task would be performed by a servant, and Jesus was now even dressed like a slave. In fact, Peter was shocked and scandalized at the thought of the Lord washing his feet and objected to it. The Lord said, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but you will understand it later.”

We like the thought of “spiritual” humility, but we don’t like to be humiliated. We don’t like doing the dirty work that involves putting ourselves under other people. We prefer the roles where we get to tell other people what to do. We like to call it “leading from behind.”

That’s natural. It’s how the world works. It’s how my sinful flesh works, too. But it’s not how the Kingdom of God works.

We all agree with this in theory, but the blessing is not in agreeing with the theory but in doing it.

Lord Jesus, forgive the many times I have avoided humiliating myself and chosen to call the shots instead. Open my eyes to see the opportunities You give me to serve in humility, as I go about my day today. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles