Humility Rooted in Power

 No one is impressed when a weak man is gentle.  Everyone takes note when a large, powerful man who is obviously capable of great violence is gentle.

No one notices when a poor person lives a simple life and feels approachable.  Everyone is impressed when an extremely wealthy person lives humbly and is down to earth.

Humility from the weak and lowly shouldn't cause you to take note, but humility from the high and mighty does.  

Look at John chapter 13 with me for a moment.  This is the chapter in which Jesus washes His disciples feet.  It's a very familiar story and in the coming weeks we will likely hear about it again.  But notice how John sets up his rendition.

"During the supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given Him all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.  He laid aside his outer garment, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist.  Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him." John 13:2-5

There is a lot that has been and could be written about this Maundy Thursday scene.  There is the fact that Jesus washed Judas' feet in the passage alone that could spill much valuable ink worthily.  But I want you to catch what's said in verse three:

"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God,"

John wants us to see and understand that Jesus served His disciples while stooping from a position of power.  Simply being a rabbi to a group of disciples made Jesus above the lowly job of foot washer, but John goes so much further.  Jesus isn't just a rabbi.  Jesus had received ALL THINGS from God, who is His literal Father.  Jesus had come from the opulence of Heaven and was about to return to that place of holy luxury.  Once Jesus had considered these facts He got down and performed a lowly act of service on people who were beneath Him in every sense and one that was soon to betray Him.

"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 13:14-15 

Christians, much of our humility comes from a recognition of our lowly state in comparison to Jesus, and it should.  We are immensely less immense in every good quality.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  We have many reasons for this type of humility.

Yet, Christians, to truly exercise humility in service to our fellow man, we must have humility rooted in our high stature.  We are children of the Most High God and the King of kings calls us His friend.  We have an inheritance that can never perish that is kept in Heaven for us (1 Peter 1:3-5).  

Humility that begins with an acknowledgement of the high stature that we've been graced into has the ability to be boundless.  Like Jesus, we can serve in any way and not have our stature in the reality of all reality affected.  Nothing can bump us down from the high place we've been set.  In fact, humility that stoops low ensures a higher place because God exalts the humble (James 4:10) and the last will be first (Matthew 20:16).

It is this type of humility that impresses a watching world.  It is this type of humble service that causes the world to see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Follow your Lord's example.  Take stock of what you've been graciously given and then put your towel around your waist, dip down low and serve today.