Treasures Still Hidden in the Upper Room - 2

Part 2 From Yesterday’s Post

The more we allow Jesus into our heart’s the more of his character dwells within us. If you look in all four gospels you will see that Jesus serving others recurs over and over again. When he worked a miracle, he served. When he healed someone, he served. When he taught, he served. Jesus set a pattern. He’s teaching us, by example, that by putting other’s above himself he’s serving and worshiping God.

I began studying men with a servants heart in the Old Testament and they had three things in common. A heart of worship, death to self and a heart of service. They had failings, like the rest of us, but they were able to be used because of the three stated characteristics. Let’s take a look at a couple of these men.

The first person is Moses. Moses started out by killing a man and running for his life. (Exodus: 2-11-16). He even argued with God face to face and lived. (Ex. 3:4-17) God continued to talk to Moses through out the years and because of Moses servants heart, God entrusted him with the ten commandments. Moses was one of the biggest servants that I can think of in the Old Testament. He gave his life and served a rebellious people for over forty years. He acted as judge, councilor, guide, protector and teacher. He gave up his life for the Israelites.

The second person is David. David was known as a man after God’s own heart, (I Samuel 13:14) and a man of contradictions: David was a servant yet demanding. Humble yet arrogant. Generous yet selfish. Protector yet murderer. How could David, with all of his flaws, be used by God? Simple, David had a heart of worship, a heart of repentance and a heart of service. David knew that worship and service were key before God. David would do something wrong. God would convict him. David would repent, and wait for God’s forgiveness and answer. David worshiped God regardless of what he had done. David was willing to walk through the consequences of his actions, pick himself up and serve God once again.

Part 3, Tomorrow

Treasures Still Hidden in the Upper Room - 1

Treasures Still Hidden in the Upper Room

When I think about Jesus, the twelve disciples and the upper room I think of the last supper. Then I started searching the passage in John 13: 4-17 and realized that there was so much more for us to learn from it.

John’s version of scripture is the only place where it refers to Jesus washing his disciple’s feet. It states, “...so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” In order to grasp the complete impact of what Jesus did, we need to put some historical context in place. In Jesus’ culture and time, many homes would welcome a visitor by washing their feet. The person who did it was usually the lowest servant or slave in the household. Jews felt themselves above washing anyone’s feet, including Jewish slaves It was considered so humiliating a task that Gentile slaves were forced to do it. If this were the case, then why would Jesus, not only a Jew but the Son of God, wash the disciples feet?

Jesus was teaching his disciples, through example, that a servant’s heart was a massive foundation stone in all that he taught. Let’s go back to John 13. Jesus gets into a debate with Peter concerning washing his feet and it states, “....’No’, Peter said, “ you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.....” Why was Jesus so adamant about this? Let’s continue, “...When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his cloths and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

Jesus humbled himself before man so that we could see that we need to humble our selves before God. How do we bring this about? I believe it begins with the heart of worship. Worship is to honor our God. True worship brings in the presence of God and makes us realize it’s all about him and not about us. Which leads us to the next step, repentance. When we enter God’s presence, it produces a hunger for more of him. We need to get rid of anything that will hinder us , so we need to ask God to change the places within our heart’s that are blackened by sin.

Part 2, Tomorrow