In John 13, we read what in my opinion is one of the most amazing accounts or our Lord Jesus. This is the night before He was crucified, and He bent down to wash the feet of His chosen disciples. How could the Lord of all the earth submit Himself in this way? I believe it is because Jesus knew who He was.
Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. (John 13:3)
When we know who we are and to whom we belong, it provides a viewpoint that will drive whether we are self-ish or self-less. The right choice allows us an ability to display an unearthly humility. Notice that right after we are told Jesus knew who He was and what He came for, this follows:
So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. (John 13:4-5)
Jesus knew who He was and instead of sitting on an earthly throne our King chose to stoop in front of dirty feet. When we in turn know who we are it should also cause us to display this unworldly humility. I think this pushes us to answer these two questions:
Question #1: Who am I?
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered! (Psalm 139:15-17)
I am human, I am precious in my Creator’s eyes, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the very One who gave His Life for mine.
Question #2: Whose am I?
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
There are two and only two answers for this. I am my own or I belong to Another. 1 Corinthians tells us we are not our own, but are actually vessels for a Holy God. Our Creator has built us with a hole that only He can fill. When we recognize this, we are no longer centered in ourselves, but centered on the One who fills our center.
Knowing this gives us the ability to see our position next to Jesus, and follow where He leads - even if it's stooping before our brothers and sisters.
#LoveMatters