The Lowliest Servant
"But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not
fit to carry."
--Matthew 3:11
In the days of John the Baptist, rich households employed various levels of servants
for different responsibilities around the home. Yes, there was even a servant who
had the lackluster job of untying a guest's sandals and carrying them aside.
John the Baptist couldn't think of a better way to humble himself before the Lord
than to say that he would carry his Savior's sandals. To him, it was a vocation
of humility.
But Jesus demonstrated a more amazing model of humility when He placed Himself lower
than even a sandal-carrying slave. Jesus not only untied the sandals of his disciples
and placed them to the side, but He went further and washed their dirty feet-a responsibility
of the lowest servant on the household totem pole.
John the Baptist extolled the power and greatness of the Lord Jesus. But Jesus was
the One who glorified His power by divesting Himself of it in order to wipe clean
the filthy feet of common men. And in so doing, Jesus showed us what power there
is in sacrificial love and humble service.
A job description for a lowly servant can be found in Philippians 2:3-4, which says,
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but
also to the interests of others."
How appropriate that a couple of verses later we are told that Jesus took on this
job description, made Himself nothing, and became a servant. Your attitude today
should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Lord, I want to be Your servant. May I serve others today as You would, always considering my brothers and sisters as better than myself. Give me Your servant's heart, please.
"But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not
fit to carry."
--Matthew 3:11
In the days of John the Baptist, rich households employed various levels of servants
for different responsibilities around the home. Yes, there was even a servant who
had the lackluster job of untying a guest's sandals and carrying them aside.
John the Baptist couldn't think of a better way to humble himself before the Lord
than to say that he would carry his Savior's sandals. To him, it was a vocation
of humility.
But Jesus demonstrated a more amazing model of humility when He placed Himself lower
than even a sandal-carrying slave. Jesus not only untied the sandals of his disciples
and placed them to the side, but He went further and washed their dirty feet-a responsibility
of the lowest servant on the household totem pole.
John the Baptist extolled the power and greatness of the Lord Jesus. But Jesus was
the One who glorified His power by divesting Himself of it in order to wipe clean
the filthy feet of common men. And in so doing, Jesus showed us what power there
is in sacrificial love and humble service.
A job description for a lowly servant can be found in Philippians 2:3-4, which says,
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but
also to the interests of others."
How appropriate that a couple of verses later we are told that Jesus took on this
job description, made Himself nothing, and became a servant. Your attitude today
should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Lord, I want to be Your servant. May I serve others today as You would, always considering my brothers and sisters as better than myself. Give me Your servant's heart, please.
How can you and I have a servants heart this day? Does it start with our family closest to us? How can we demonstrate it there?
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