No Servant Is Greater Than His Master

After that, [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:5, 12–18, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Jesus was fully aware of who He was to His disciples, “teacher and Lord.” And they were too. But it was Peter who objected. “Lord, are you going to wash my feet? No, you shall never wash my feet.” (John 13:6, 8, NIV 1984). Washing someone’s feet was the role of a servant. Clearly beneath the dignity of the LORD’s Anointed.

Yet that was the role that Jesus chose. “Who, being in very nature God…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6–8, NIV 1984). The ultimate indignity.

Forsaken by the Father. “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'” (Mark 15:34, NIV 1984). Which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1–2, NIV 1984).

For a time. Three days and nights, to be precise. But because of His obedience to the Father, on our behalf I might add, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, NIV 1984).

My Advice – After what He has done for us, is it too much indignity for us to bow our knee and “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord?” To “deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily and follow [Him]?” (Luke 9:23, NIV 1984). I don’t think so. For as the text says, “no servant is greater than his master.” And that is what He is and that is what we are. And yes, one way or another “every knee [will] bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” It is best to do it the “one way” for “another” will be too late.