With such grace and beauty Jesus models the utmost servant heart by willingly and knowingly going to his knees to wash his disciples feet in John 13. The connection made here about Jesus' awareness of his actions. He is not confused about what it looks like or how the disciples will take it or be confused by his literal stepping into and fulfilling the role and responsibility of a slave. "John wants us to know that when Jesus is down on His knees He is not confused about His identity as a slave!" What a challenge for us this summer, and more importantly, in our lives as followers of Christ Jesus, our redeeming savior, because after all, "If being God does not mean something to take advantage of but emptying Himself, can being human mean anything else?" (DJ) Something I myself need to be reminder of more frequently than I like to admit is that the invitation to do as Jesus has show us to do in John 13 is an invitation to freedom! That behind the seemingly dirty, painful, tired eyes of a houseboat driver front tying until midnight, a barney performing the 3 pm mikey cleaning in 115 heat, is freedom! Pure and JOYOUS FREEDOM! The invitation to follow Jesus model is a loving invitation and encouragement to be the grain of wheat, fall to the ground on our knees, willing choose to root our identity in Christ Jesus and die on behalf of fellow drivers, barneys, admin, campers, youth staff, dock hands, other boaters, next years campers...all people...so that out of that choice of death, Jesus may make us eternally alive.
When I think of the discipline of celebration I immediately think of two scriptures. One, Rev. 4 where John is describing the throne in heaven and creates this, for lack of better words, sci-fi setting of creatures with eyes and wings and elders all over the place. But the celebration lies in the creatures day and night giving praise and the elders falling to their knees in front of the one on the thrown. I cannot help but respond with the question to myself, what if I lived my life always giving praise day and night and physically posturing myself on my knees before the one on the thrown?! How different my life would look! The second, I am reminded of the book of Habakkuk. The man Habakkuk is in conversation with the Lord. He asks why the injustice, why does it seem like you are not listening, why the destruction and violence. And after the Lord answers multiple times Habakkuk reminds himself of the faithfulness of God's promises in the past to Israel. He holds fast to the knowledge of what God has done and in the middle of pain and the present situation, Habakkuk states with great faith, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." (Hab. 3:17-19) Habakkuk's faith in times of pain and destruction remind me that celebration is not dependent of the current situation around me. If my worship of God is solely dependent on the blessings I receive or the way I view them then may-day! Regardless of my circumstances, God's character alone deserve praise and worship!
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