WATCHWORD:
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins. 1 John 1:8-9
1 Is there any such thing as Christians cheering each other up? Do you love me enough to want to help me? Does it mean anything to you that we are brothers in the Lord, sharing the same Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic at all? 2 Then make me truly happy by loving each other and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, working together with one heart and mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. 5 Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, 6 who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, 7 but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. 8 And he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:1-8
1 Jesus knew on the evening of Passover Day that it would be his last night on earth before returning to his Father. … 3Jesus knew that the Father had given him everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. And how he loved his disciples! 4 So he got up from the supper table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his loins, 5 poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him. …12 After washing their feet he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Master’ and ‘Lord,’ and you do well to say it, for it is true. 14 And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow: do as I have done to you. John 13:1,3-5,12-15
Meditation:
Humility? I’m Loaded with It!
Huh? You’re loaded with something, but it ain’t humility, bub!
You have heard it said that it is hard to be humble. That is a bit of humor, but it has truth laced through it. Being humble, consistently, is a heavy lift for all of us. Here is a little test: How do you react when others seem to ignore you, or talk to others around you but not to you. Or perhaps you felt you were treated differentially? Does that upset you? Make you angry?
The scripture passages above illustrate a number of points related to the matter of being humble. In 1John we are assured that if we come to Him and confess our sins, we are forgiven, we are cleansed by God. We have nothing to hide. How others may react to us is not our problem but it should be our concern for them as Christians.
In the Philippians passage, we are called to love others, to be humble and not thinking ourselves better than others. We are called not to be concerned about making a good impression, instead, be interested in the concerns and affairs of others and what they are doing. The hard part is serving and being kind in the way that Jesus has shown us.
In John 13 we have insight into the final hours of Jesus life on earth. This was during the Last Supper, as we know it, where Christ demonstrated servanthood. In that day, the washing of feet as people enter a house, was a common practice, because the roads were dusty and people were concerned about tracking that into the house. If it was a household with wealth, a servant was assigned that lowly duty.
Jesus asked them if they understood what he was doing? Throughout his three years of ministry he had been demonstrating a ministry of servanthood, yet they had missed that in their hope that He was a conquering king. Now he was telling them washing of the feet was a symbol of servant hood and serving others. Furthermore, he went on to say, do this and you will be my disciple. Do this and you will be happy. Do this and you will be blessed.
For the disciples in that moment, it must have been confusing. Occasionally, they had been where servants washed their feet during their time with Jesus, and maybe they had some attitude toward those who are signed that task. Now they were trying to equate the work of the servant with the ministry of this man, this God man. It would be days later, on the hillside of Capernaum, when this lesson we’ll be brought home and they began to understand.
We live in a different culture. Some homes we enter ask you to remove your shoes, that’s a good thing. But the lesson of servanthood as Jesus defined it is just as hard for us to grasp as it was the disciples in that day. Jesus asks us, “Do you understand what I was doing? I have given you an example to follow: do as I have done.” Amen.
Today’s Lenten Passage to Ponder:
1 Corinthians 11:24: and when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
Daily Scripture Passages Through Next Tuesday:
Wednesday, Luke 22:34 • Thursday, 1 Peter 5:7 • Friday, Matthew 26:17-30 • Saturday, Mark 14:17-19 • Monday, Hebrews 5:7-9 • Tuesday, 1 Corinthians 1:18
Lenten Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for going on a rescue mission to save me. Thank you for bringing me back to life so sin and death are not the end of my story. I’m reminded of my need for you — thank you Jesus. Amen.
