The Humility of Christ

After partaking in the Communion (bread, wine, and foot washing) yesterday, it got me meditating upon Jesus' great condescension. That the sovereign and eternal Creator of the universe, in His absolute perfection and illimitable glory, took on the nature of a man to serve others and suffer an agonizing death for the sins of a world that hated Him, is something that I cannot wholly comprehend. If I could, I'm sure I would fall to my knees right now with such reverence, love, and unworthiness, that getting back up would prove to be nearly impossible.

"A Buddhist monk once asked a missionary to suggest a scene that would represent Christianity. Artists were to decorate a hall on the monastery grounds with murals and reliefs that depicted major world religions. After some reflection the missionary began to share the account in John 13. The monk 'said nothing as I read,' the missionary recounted, 'but I felt a strange, awesome quietness and power as the passage described Jesus' act of washing the disciples' feet.' In that culture, discussing in public anything having to do with matters of the feet is considered very poor etiquette.

'When I finished reading, there was a moment of silence. He looked at me with incredulity and said, "Do you mean to say that the Founder of your religion washed His students' feet?"'

'Yes,' I replied. The usually placid moon face with shaved eyebrows and head wrinkled up in shock and amazement. He was speechless, and so was I. I swallowed very hard several times, and we were both caught up in the drama of the scene. As I gazed at him, the look of incredulity on his face changed to a reverent awe. Jesus, the Founder of Christianity, had touched and washed dirty fishermen's feet! After a few moments he gained control of himself and rose to his feet. "I see now the essence of Christianity."'" (John Dybdahi, Missions p. 28)

"But [He] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." (Phil 2:7) "  "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."(Matt 20:28)