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Rick Warren --“not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
Rick Warren --“not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
One day an airline flight was canceled due to bad weather. One solitary agent was trying to rebook all of the travelers whose schedules had gotten messed up. One passenger became impatient and pushed his way to the front and slammed his ticket down on the counter. He said, “I have to be on this flight, and it has to be first class!” The agent politely said, “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll help as soon as I can, but I have to take care of these other people first.” The man became angry and shouted, “Do you have any idea who I am?”
Without hesitating, the agent picked up the loud speaker microphone and said to the hundreds of people in the terminal, “May I have your attention, please? We have a passenger here at the gate who does not know who he is. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the gate.” The man backed off, and the crowd of people burst into applause. Regardless of whom that man was—whether he was rich or famous or a little bit of both—he certainly didn’t have the respect of the people at the terminal that day. It’s hard to respect someone who considers themselves the most important person in the room and who puts his or her selfish needs ahead of everyone else.
Most every problem that develops can be traced back to selfishness.
Most of us have experienced selfishness and are pretty good at knowing what selfishness looks like – when it’s someone else that’s acting selfish.
SELFISH TEST
You might be selfish if…
You have a difficult time letting someone else have the remote control
You pick up the last piece of chicken, take a bite out of it, hold it up and say, “Does anybody want this?”
Your favorite picture at home is the mirror.
You’re on a date and say, “Enough talk about me…let’s talk about what you think of me.”
You’re a baby, a toddler, a preadolescent, a teenager, or an adult male or female
From the day we’re born, our world revolves around us. That’s where we get things like the…
Toddler Property Laws:
1.... If I like it, it's mine.2.... If it's in my hand, it's mine.3.... If I can take it from you, it's mine.4.... If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.5.... If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.6.... If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.7.... If it looks just like mine, it's mine.8.... If I saw it first, it's mine.9.... If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.10.... If it is broken, it's yours.(No, the pieces are probably still mine.)
Philippians 2:21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
As we grow and mature, we are to overcome that self-serving nature and replace it with a love for others and a desire to serve them. And therein lies the theme for today’s lesson.
Setting
It has been a long day. Jerusalem is packed with Passover guests, most of whom clamor for a glimpse of the Teacher. The spring sun is warm. The streets are dry. And the disciples are a long way from home. A splash of cool water would be refreshing.
The disciples enter the room, one by one, and take their places around the table. On the wall hangs a towel, and on the floor sits a pitcher and a basin. Any one of the disciples could volunteer for the job, but not one does.
The roads in Palestine are unsurfaced. In dry weather they are inches deep in dust and in wet they are liquid mud. The shoes of the ordinary people are sandals, held on to the foot by a few straps and give little protection against the dust or the mud of the roads. For that reason, there are always great waterpots at the door of a house; and a servant with a towel to wash the soiled feet of the guests.
These duties which servants would carry out in wealthier circles must have been shared among the disciples, but not on this night. Wasn’t it enough that Christ’s hands would be pierced in the morning? Must they scrub grime tonight? And the disciples…do they deserve to have their feet washed by Jesus?
The disciples should be washing his feet. But they don’t. Rather than serve, they argue over which one is the greatest (Luke 22:24).
What disappointment their words must have brought Jesus.
"I’m the number one apostle.“
"No, I’m much more spiritual than you.“
"You guys are crazy. I brought more people to hear Jesus than anyone."
As they argue, the basin sits in the corner, untouched. The towel lies on the floor, unused. The servant’s clothing hangs on the wall, unworn. Each disciple sees these things. Each disciple knows their purpose. But no one moves, except Jesus. As they bicker, he stands. But he doesn’t speak.
He removes his robe and takes the servant’s wrap off of the wall. Taking the pitcher, he pours the water into the basin. He kneels before them with the basin and sponge and begins to wash. The towel that covers his waist is also the towel that dries their feet.
It’s not right. None of them deserve to have their feet washed.
When Jesus was about to be stoned in Nazareth, did they come to His defense? When the Pharisees took up rocks to kill Him, did they volunteer to take His place? He knows what they’ve done. And what’s more, He knows what they are about to do!
He can already hear them snoring in the garden. They say they’ll stay awake, but they won’t. He’ll sweat blood; they’ll saw logs. He can hear them sneaking away from the soldiers. They make promises tonight. They’ll make tracks tomorrow. Out of the twelve, how many will stand with Him in Pilate’s court? How many will share with Him the Roman whip? And when He falls under the weight of the cross, which disciple will be close enough to spring to His side and carryHis burden? None of them will. Not one. A stranger will be called because no disciplewill be near.
Don’t wash their feet, Jesus. Tell them to wash yours.
Do we object because we don’t want to see God washing feet?
Or do we object because we don’t want to do the same?
But Jesus didn’t just do it to set an example of Who He was, He also did it as an example for us to follow as His disciples, to humble ourselves and serve others!
John 13: 12-1512-15 Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do.
True humility grows out of our relationship with God the Father, but if we don’t know who we are, where we came from and where we’re going, we’ll not be secure enough to serve.
Do you agree withthis statement?
Explain
If we don’t know who we are in God we will spend most of our energy doing things to define our identity. Nothing we can do—no attainment, no honor, no accomplishment, no amount of human recognition can adequately define our identity. Because our identity is not found in what we do but in whom we are by the grace of God.
If we know who we are, we have nothing to prove. We no longer have to manipulate people or be paranoid about other people’s expectations and opinions.
Why is that?
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest degree and 10 being the highest to what degree or extent are you following His example?
Who are we?
Eph 1:4-5 “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!) .”
Jesus was not insecure about His identity. He knew who he was and why he was here. He was God's Son and was here to serve the Father. Therefore, taking the lowly job was not threatening to His identity. When we can only define ourselves by what we do, we will be so busy trying to do something that will put us in a good light that we won’t do much service. But when we are firmly centered on who we are in Christ, we can takethe lowly position without worrying about being marked as insignificant, and approach relationships out of a sense of fullness.
Back in the late 40’s Richard McDonald and his brother Maurice started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, that featured 15-cent hamburgers, 19-cent cheeseburgers, 20-cent milkshakes, and 10-cent fries.
A few years later Ray Kroc bought the rights to the restaurant and the McDonald’s fast food industry was born. In addition to keeping Richard’s concept of twin golden arches, Kroc also picked upon his idea to post the cumulative number of hamburgers sold outside each drive-in restaurant.
When Richard McDonald died in the summer of 1998 at the age of 89, it was revealed that the namesake of the most famous fast-food chain in history frequently ate at the McDonald’s near his home. He always ordered a cheeseburger, a shake, and an order of fries. But McDonald never identified himself to the employees, never cut in line, and always paid full price.
Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.”
Not only did Jesus know who He was, He knew his commission and said to his disciples“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” John 20:21 .
Without a sense of cause and mission anybody would regress to a selfish lifestyle. It is when we embrace a cause that is worthy of our very best, worth personal sacrifice, worth the investment of our personal time and energy—that we become a true servant.
Eph. 2:10 He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
In 1904 the heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, William Borden, graduated from Chicago High School a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. During thattrip he became burdened for all the hurting people he saw in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He made a decision to prepare for the mission field. When he made that decision he wrote in his Bible the words, “No Reserve.”
When William Borden arrived at Yale University the next year as a freshman his passion for Christ was already kindled. He was disappointed to find the school morally bankrupt and the teaching filled with empty philosophy. So during his first semester, he asked a friend to begin praying with him before breakfast. As a resultof his leadership other prayer groups began to spring up. And by his senior year, 1,000 of the 1,300 students Were meeting in prayer groups. Many of those young leaders came to the Lord through that movement.
Upon graduation he was offered high paying jobs. But he turned those offers down and continued to pursue God’s call on his life. While making those decisions he wrote two more words in his Bible, the words “No Retreat”.
When he completed his studies at Princeton Seminary he sailed to China to work with the Muslims. On the way he stopped in Egypt to study Arabic. But there in Egypt he was stricken with spinal meningitis and withina month at the age of 25 he died. What his friends and family found written in his Bible was a great source of comfort. Added to the words previously written, “No Reserve, No Retreat” were two more words, “No Regrets”.
After a few moments, Jesus stands and removes his outer garment. He wraps a servant’s girdle around his waist, takes up the basin, and kneels before one of the disciples. He unlaces a sandal and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, covers it with water, and begins to bathe it. One by one, one grimy foot after another, Jesus works his way down the row.
The washing of feet was a task reserved not just for servants but for the lowest of servants…The servant at the bottom of the totem pole was expected to be the one on his knees with the towel and basin.
In this case the one with the towel and basin is the king of the universe. Hands that shaped the stars now wash away filth. Fingers that formed mountains now massage toes. And the one before whom all nations will one day kneel now kneels before his disciples.Hours before his own death, Jesus’ concern is singular. He wants his disciples to know how much he loves them...
Jesus knows the future of these feet he is washing. These twenty-four feet will not spend the next day following their master, defending his cause. These feet will dash for cover at the flash of a Roman sword. By morning they will bury their heads in shame and look down at their feet in disgust.
And when they do, he wants them to remember how his knees knelt before them and he washed their feet…
He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it.
Go one more time to the room. Watch Jesus as he goes from disciple to disciple. Can you see him? Can you hear the water splash? Can you hear him shuffle on the floor to the next person?
John 13:12 says, “After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.”
Do you see anything importantin this verse?
Jesus left no one out. It means He also washed the feet of Judas. The lying, conniving, greedy rat who sold Jesus down the river for a pocket of cash. Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer. He gave his traitor equal attention. In just a few hours Judas’s feet would guide the Roman guard to Jesus.But at that moment they were caressed by Christ.
It must have been a passionate moment when Jesus silently lifts the feet of his betrayer and washes them in the basin!That’s not to say it was easy for Jesus.
Since He washed the feet of his Judas, we will have to wash the feet of our Judas. Our betrayer. Jesus’ Judas walked away with thirty pieces of silver. Our Judas may have walked away with our security, spouse, job, childhood, retirement, investments.
That’s not to say it will be easy for us. But it is to say that God will never call us to do what he hasn’t already done.
God expects us to wash our betrayer’s feet and let him go. Most people don't want to. They use the villain’s photo as a dart target.
But we aren't "most people." Grace has happened to us. Look at your feet. They have felt the cool basin of God's grace. Jesus has washed the grimiest parts of our lives. He didn't bypass us and carry the basin toward someone else.
"Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:14–15 NLT).
To accept grace is to accept the vow to give it.
He looked down the ages and saw us and said in his heart, “You are why I will pay this price.”
How can I look at that person I’m about to serve, realizing just how precious that soul is to Jesus, and not be encouraged to continue serving.
John 13:3434 So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. 35 Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.
Mother Teresa visited Phoenix in 1989 to open a home for the destitute. During that brief visit, she was interviewed by KTAR, the largest radio station in town. In a private moment, the announcer asked Mother Teresa if there was anything he could do for her. He was expecting her to request a contribution or media help to raise money for the new home for the impoverished in Phoenix. Instead, she replied, "Yes, there is. Find somebody nobody else loves, and love them."
In what sense do you view yourself as Jesus’ representative? How does your awareness of your role impact your daily living?
Many cathedrals in Europe suffered damage as a result of bombing raids during World War II. The explosion of a bomb in one great cathedral blew the hands off a statue of Christ. Though the cathedral was repaired, the statue of Christ stands there today with His hands missing. An inscription on the pedestal reads, “Christ hath no hands but yours.”
Sherm Nichols: Selfishness or Servanthood – Who's Winning In Your Home?Richard Tow: Mindset for MinistryMax Lucado: The Secret of ForgivenessMax Lucado: Jesus Washes the Disciples FeetMax Lucado: Wet Feet
