"Stooping to a Higher Level"

Sermon Transcript for July 2, 2000

By Rev. Mike Beck

Scripture Reading: John 5:13:1-17

 

Thank you, Sarai. As we go through this year’s 50-day Spiritual Adventure, "Celebrate Jesus", we’re looking at qualities that Jesus possessed that attracted others to Him. This morning we look at two related qualities, the qualities of humility and servanthood, which drew people to our Lord. And as witnesses to and followers of Christ, we need to strive after these same qualities in our lives. The story in John 13 of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet is the ultimate illustration of humility and servanthood.

And some background information makes the story even more illuminating. If you would look in Mark’s Gospel, Chapter 10, you would find James and John coming to Jesus asking if they could have the places of honor in His coming Kingdom. If you go to Luke’s account of this night in which the Passover meal was celebrated, that we call the Last Supper, even on this solemn occasion, Luke tells us that during the meal an argument arose at the table by the disciples as to who would be the greatest! So it is against that background that Jesus performs the menial task of a servant, takes a towel and basin, and washes the dusty and dirty feet of His disciples.

Now friends, these related qualities of humility and servanthood, for most of us, are not qualities that come easily. And hear me carefully on this, the ironic thing is that if we put too much focus on having these qualities that focus will prevent us from realizing them! Or to put it another way, "If you think you’re humble, you probably aren’t."

So, as we look at this story in John 13, Jesus through His example teaches us three important lessons about these related qualities of humility and servanthood. The first point is this. Humility and servanthood begin by knowing your identity. For if you don’t know your identity you’re always trying to prove who you are to others. And for some of you, this first point may be a new insight. But hear these versus from what Dan just read to us. Verse 3: "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power and that He had come from God and that He was returning to God." He knew all that. Verse 13: "After He’s washed their feet, He says to His disciples, ‘You call me Teacher and Lord and rightly so because that is who I am." Humility, friends, does not mean putting yourself down or discounting the talents that God has given to you. That’s a false sense of humility that hinders God’s work from taking place. We are trying, here at Grace, to talk a great deal about spiritual gifts. Helping our members discover their spiritual gifts. All of you have gifts for ministry. And when you discount those gifts, you’re like the person who had the one talent and went and buried them in the field.

Let me use this illustration. Some group is being formed to accomplish some task and it is time to select a chairperson with that group. Sitting there at the table is someone who has excellent gifts of leadership. But that person may sit back and say, "Well, I don’t want to flaunt those gifts. If they want me to serve in this way, I guess they’ll ask me." So the question is asked, "Is there someone who feels led to lead this group?" The person with the gifts for leadership just sits back and says nothing. And then the group selects someone who doesn’t have the gifts of leadership just because they were willing. And the group doesn’t accomplish the task it could have because of a false sense of humility. The person with a gift of leadership when asked that question should have been willing to say, "If it’s the will of the group, I think I have some gifts that I can bring and I would be willing to be a servant leader in your midst." Humility begins by knowing your identity.

Secondly, in order to serve we must have an attitude that is willing to be served. And for some of you hearing my voice serving others comes far easier than allowing others to serve you. But hear again what happened to Peter that night when Jesus comes to him and is ready to wash Peter’s feet. Jesus came to Simon Peter who said to Jesus, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You don’t realize now Peter what I’m doing but later you will understand." And Peter says, "No, Lord, you will never wash my feet." To which Jesus answered, "Unless I wash your feet Peter you will have no part of me."

My year’s in Seminary, especially the first six months, were a time to learn a great deal about humility. I’d come from being Assistant Principle and Athletic Director of a high school. I thought surely there’s some employer that would like to hire me for ten hours a week at $10.00 an hour; this was fifteen years ago. So I went to look for that kind of a job and there weren’t any out there. I had two little boys at home, age five and three. Mickey’s salary alone wouldn’t pay the bills. So for the first two months of seminary I washed dishes in the seminary cafeteria and I went over at night and cleaned the offices of college professors for $3.35 an hour and learned a great deal about humility. During those years in seminary when we were struggling to make ends meet, I had to learn to let others serve me, to receive the gifts that came our way of people who wanted to help, who believed in us. Friends, when someone brings us a gift and we turn it away, we rob them of the blessing and we also stomp all over them because they’ve done it in love. The second step to humility and servanthood is to have an attitude that we’re not only willing to serve but we are also willing to allow others to serve us.

It begins by knowing our identity, continues with having an attitude that is willing to allow others to serve us, and then, finally, comes full cycle when we are willing to serve however God leads us. In the story we read today from John’s Gospel, there obviously was no servant in the room, as would have been the customary practice, to wash the feet of those who entered the room. That was customary. It was a dusty land. Persons wore sandals; and so the first thing that usually happened when you entered into a room for a meal is the servant would come around and wash your feet. How shocked the disciples must have been when Jesus brought in the towel and the basin and begins to wash their feet. And friends, I believe Jesus was not only giving the church an object lesson, but He also observed a genuine need and sought to meet it. A principle of church growth is this: "Find a need and fill it."

I close with this illustration and this scripture. How many of you know or perhaps have him operate on you, Dr. Richard May in Indianapolis? How many of you know Richard? Let me see your hands. One of the finest heart surgeons in the city of Indianapolis. I was serving as the Spiritual Director for the Emmaeus Walk in Camp Pyoga down in Brownstown and Richard May was a team member. At our last team meeting, Richard came to me very apologetically and said, "I will need to ask to be excused on Saturday for about four hours but I promise that I will quickly return as soon as possible following that to my role here on the team." He didn’t say why he needed to leave. I found that out later. Some of you may have walked, I believe it’s the second floor of Methodist Hospital, where one of the wings is named, the Richard May Coronary Care Unit; and his picture and plaque are there on the wall. He had to leave that day because they were dedicating that wing in his honor. Do you know what he came back to in Camp Pyoga as soon as it was over? He was on the kitchen team; and he returned from having a wing at Methodist Hospital named in his honor to putting his hands down in the dirty dishwater washing pots and pans and fixing meals for the seventy men who were there that weekend. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better example of humility and servanthood.

I close with this passage that describes our Lord Jesus. Philippines 2:5-11, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing. Taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and become obedient to death even death on the cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. And at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God on earth." How ironic. The One, who someday to whom every knee should bow, was willing to take the basin and the towel to wash the dirty feet of His disciples. And He tells us, "Go and do the same."