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God on His Knees

April 21, 2011 By Sandra Heska King

 

I spoke once, maybe twice that day.

Given my best, and what energy remained leaked through the cold metal of the folding chair and pooled on the floor.

We sat towards the back of the conference room, and I wanted to be engaged with what the next speaker shared.

But my head hurt, and my feet ached.

And then one of the clergy members seated at my left rose and knelt in front of me.

He removed my shoes and began to massage my feet.

Awkward.

I wanted to pull away.

Sit on my feet.

Hide the calluses and the dirt of the day.

Cover the smell.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “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. ~John 13:5-14 (NIV)

God on His knees.

Spilling Himself on soiled hearts and dusty feet.

Not to cover the stench or hide the stains but to abolish them.

Do you understand what I have done for you?

Do you understand what I have done for YOU?

Can I grasp the depth and breadth of a God bent in humility?

Who poured Himself out in service and sacrifice?

Who dragged a heavy cross through dusty streets?

Whose blood-bathed feet bear the scars of suffering and selflessness?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! ~Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)

Very God of Very God.

Made Himself nothing.

Stooped low for love.

Of me.

And He asks me to do the same.

For you.

For Him.

I am hushed.

 

 

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Filed Under: stories and reflections

Comments

  1. S. Etole says

    April 21, 2011 at 11:39 pm

    The spilling of these words takes my heart and holds it firmly …

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:05 pm

      Amazing love.

  2. Jennifer@GDWJ says

    April 21, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    Jesus wanted to show the “full extent of His love.” (John 13:1) … So he wraps a towel and bends the knee and our King becomes a servant. And within hours, He’ll be nailed to a cross.

    I just sit here and shake my head. In awe. In awe.

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:06 pm

      Me, too, Jennifer. Me, too.

  3. Carol J. Garvin says

    April 22, 2011 at 1:42 am

    The depth of his love is overwhelming.

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:07 pm

      Amen to that, Carol.

  4. journeytoepiphany says

    April 22, 2011 at 7:56 am

    I’ve got goosebumps…That was amazing.

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:10 pm

      Praying that we never ceased to be awed by what He’s done.

  5. V.V. Denman says

    April 22, 2011 at 10:45 am

    what energy remained leaked through the cold metal of the folding chair and pooled on the floor

    I love those words. Thank you for sharing your soul. The verses you chose brought tears to my eyes. Just what I needed to hear today.

    Funny how God works that out, isn’t it?

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:12 pm

      I love how He does that.

  6. Lynn Mosher says

    April 22, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    So beautiful! So touching! He stooped so low to bring me up. Too hard to imagine. Too grateful for words.

    • Sandra says

      April 22, 2011 at 11:14 pm

      No greater love.

  7. kathleen says

    April 23, 2011 at 10:55 am

    Receiving.

  8. Nancy says

    April 23, 2011 at 11:48 am

    I can’t begin to imagine how awkward it would feel to have someone physically kneel down and begin massaging my feet. And yet, I take for granted that God got down on his knees and did so much more. Beautiful. Happy Easter–He is risen, indeed!

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