The Greatness of God's Humility

Samir Selmanovic has written a great blog entry on John 13 which tells the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Below is an excerpt. You can click here to read the entire story.

"Pondering the greatness of God does not always fill me with awe. God made a choice to create this universe in which He is above us and we are under Him. But do I really want to live in a two-tiered universe where one part exists to reign, and the other to serve?

Many Christians take this cosmic arrangement for granted, never questioning the character of God, and many people, looking at the Christian worldview, rightly wonder about a God who seemingly created such a universe. Can it be that God is on an ego trip?

Sometimes, perplexed with my impressions of God and His ways, I quietly recite the poem of Teresa of Avila as my prayer:

“Oh God, I don’t love you,
I don’t even want to love you,
but I want to want to love you!”

Sometimes, that’s all I’m left with.

At such times I turn to the Bible, seeking the passages that make me want to love God again. One such passage from the life of Jesus is introduced by a statement far more significant than it seems at first sight: “He [Jesus] now showed them [His disciples] the full extent of his love” (John 13:1). What can possibly demonstrate “the full extent” of God’s love, tell us who God is in His core?

Jesus got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciple’s feet and to wipe them with the towel. A servant or slave usually provided for such occasion was not available, so Jesus took the task on Himself.

We Christians believe Jesus was divine, that He revealed the character of God through His life. If so, this passage can legitimately be re-read as follows: “God decided to show His creatures who God is in His core. God took off His robe, took a towel and poured water into a basin. Then God began to wash human feet and wipe them with the towel.

In order to do this, Jesus had to kneel. This is quite unlike any other god conceived in human history. Gods usually come in forms of power, enlightenment, beauty or presence, something that places them above everything human. But this God is different. He is a kneeling God. The full extent of His glory is embodied in His submission to us. I imagine when this cosmic Servant created the universe He thought to Himself: “I am creating in order to serve. That will be my joy. To love it through serving it, to submit everything to its well being—even My own life. I will raise the creation above myself.” We will never understand the God of the Bible until we see Him kneeling before His creation."