By Brad McKenzie

Once our daughter could begin to put several words together, she would often say, “I myself will do it!”  Most of the time the action she wanted to do herself was harmless and it was good for her to try.

Often, we had to step in and help her, and often even do whatever she was trying to do for her.  There came a limit to what, “I myself will do it,” could achieve. Even as adults, we often find that there are many things in life that we cannot do ourselves.  

John 1:14 says, “the Word was made flesh and made His dwelling among us.”  

The idea of God coming to earth in the existence of His own creation is a mystery that still baffles even the most mature believers.  Coming in our flesh and dwelling in our world is an event that literally altered the course of history. Creation has not been the same since Jesus was born.  It is as if humanity continued to cry out, “we ourselves will do it,” when it came to earning salvation and bringing purpose to life.

In Christ coming, God says, “no my child, let me do this; I will do this for you.”     

As Jesus gets closer to His Father’s mission of going to the cross, He celebrates the Passover with the disciples.  John 14 says that as the meal was being served, Jesus got up and did something that the disciples did not expect, He washed their feet.  

Peter exclaimed, “You shall never wash my feet!”  

Peter was saying to Jesus, “I myself will do it!”  

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you have no part in Me.”  

Jesus is showing Peter and all the rest that humanity is not able to do the work of salvation for themselves.  God stepped in and did what only He can do!

In the end, Jesus explains that He has shown them the example of how they are to live.  A life spent serving others, even to the point of washing stinky, dirty feet, even of people who don’t deserve it.  (Jesus even washed the feet of His betrayer).

Serving others is at the core of the Christian life.  Those who believe that Jesus is the risen savior of the world are called to serve the world that He came to save.  

As we get into Holy Week, I challenge all of us to be intentional about serving.  Take the attitude of, “I myself will do it,” when it comes to blessing others. Be humble and put the needs of another above your own.  I promise you; you will be blessed as you bless others.

When we stoop down to serve another, He raises us up to a life that thrives, and that is Good News!

 

Rev. Brad McKenzie is Lead Pastor at Frist Church of the Nazarene, 3810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange.