“Pride loves to climb up, not as Zaccheus to see Christ, but to be seen.”
William Gurnall
The beginning of the Farewell Discourse (John 13-17) in the Gospel of John features the Lord Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Jesus is engaging in the lowest and most menial task any slave or servant could be asked to perform. He does it willingly. He does it as an illustration of love. When he gets to Simon Peter, Peter says to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:6-8)
There are two very straightforward antidotes to pride and false humility in this passage. The first is to trust Christ, relying on him instead of our own resources or abilities to figure the situation out. Peter had no real idea what was happening in that moment. Jesus instructed him that the thing he was doing was beyond Peter’s comprehension but that he would understand later. Certainly, verse seven primarily refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit that will bring all these things to remembrance and will continue to teach them their significance. But let the Christian note, that when we travel down paths beyond our current comprehension, that they are not only within his total understanding but our designed for his glory and our good.
The second antidote to pride is to receive the ministry that Jesus has for you. To receive Christ is to receive his benefits (the washing that Jesus is about to perform). “Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’” (v. 8) Please note that Jesus does not say “you have no share in my cleansing” though that is implied, but rather “you have no share with me” how wonderful is this close association between knowing Christ and walking with him and being cleansed by him. May you walk closely with the Lord this week resting in his care and cleansing. See many of you Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale
