Friday, June 3, 2011

It's Not About Me...

Over and over throughout the Gospels, Jesus defers to the Father's will. While the hardest surrendering was in the Garden of Gethsemane where He asked the Father to find another way but chose to lay down His life in obedience, He also relinquished His rights on a daily basis.  Time and time again He could have risen up in indignation at unbelief, at unrighteousness, at doubters, at those who were constantly setting verbal traps for Him,...Even the ones He chose to be followers were often the source of heartache and frustration.  "How long must I be with you...where is your faith...stop being fearful..." His words fell repeatedly on deaf or uncomprehending ears.  His demonstration of "taking up your cross daily" was visual and constant. (Luke 9:23)
This morning during my Bible reading though I saw something I had never considered before.  Jesus didn't just teach about grace, He lived it - grace toward a Pharisee that sought Him in the darkness of night so he wouldn't be found out; grace toward a woman caught in adultery; grace toward a tax collector who climbed a tree just to see Him; grace toward a Roman soldier; grace toward a guilty thief who was being crucified beside Him.  Grace  - defined in Philippians 2:13 as being the work of God to empower, energize,and give us the desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure. In other words, as I lay down my right to be right God steps in and gives me all I need to be obedient to what He has called me to do, which is to be a servant. 
Never is this demonstrated more clearly than in John 13.  We have this beautiful picture of Jesus washing the disciples feet. He showed them true serving of one another and told them that demonstrating Love through service would be the trademark of Christian living.  But I had never considered that Jesus washed the feet of Judas - His betrayer.  Within hours, Judas would be the instrument used to set in motion the arrest, torture, shaming, agonizing and finally death of "his master". Jesus knew Judas intimately - his robbing of the purse, his pact with the Pharisees, his plan of betrayal - and yet He washed His feet.  Sacrificially, submissively, in total obedience, Jesus showed us that we are not just to be servants to those who are our friends, those who treat us well, those who are "with us".  We are to lay down our rights in service and love to those who mistreat us, hurt our feelings, betray our trust, ignore us or even ridicule us. Why? Because it's not about us at all. It's not about my needs, wants, desires or even feelings. It's about God's will.  Is it easy? NO! It's a minute by minute choice to remember what Christ did for me and pass that love on to others. It's a day by day decision to follow in Christ's footsteps when I'd rather go my own way. It's a moment by moment acknowledging that I have no rights to cast the first stone - that extending grace to others sets me free from the burdens of my own self-righteousness.  It's about surrender....It's all about Jesus!  It's not about me...and dear ones, it's not about you either.

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