It's what St. Ambrose called "the mystery of humility". More than four centuries after Jesus washed the feet of His disciples St. Ambrose wrote that "while washing pollution of others I wash away my own". It reminds me of the words of Jesus. Jesus taught us that we must be willing to forgive if we wish to be forgiven. Forgiving others requires us to divest ourselves of the foolish pride that wells up in judgment. It is so easy to pick up the dust of this world as we journey. It sticks to our feet - it can find a home in our heart. The remedy has not changed since King David recognized his own need for cleansing. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). The next time I am tempted by pride, I pray that the image of my Lord and Teacher kneeling with a towel and a basin of water flashes in my mind. When I am offended, I pray that I will recall my Savior kneeling before the one who would betray Him and the one who would repeatedly deny Him. When I feel rejected or nurture self-pity, I pray that I will recall that He washed the feet of those who slept while He prayed and those who promised their support and then scattered as He suffered.
About Me
- Paul Metler, Ph.D.
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- Hello. Thanks for stopping by. If you care to read about what's crossing my mind or sticking in my heart I welcome you to my latest post. So, I hope you enjoy my ramblings. More importantly, I hope I can encourage you to join me in my quest to be a faithful follower of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maundy Thursday
It's what St. Ambrose called "the mystery of humility". More than four centuries after Jesus washed the feet of His disciples St. Ambrose wrote that "while washing pollution of others I wash away my own". It reminds me of the words of Jesus. Jesus taught us that we must be willing to forgive if we wish to be forgiven. Forgiving others requires us to divest ourselves of the foolish pride that wells up in judgment. It is so easy to pick up the dust of this world as we journey. It sticks to our feet - it can find a home in our heart. The remedy has not changed since King David recognized his own need for cleansing. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). The next time I am tempted by pride, I pray that the image of my Lord and Teacher kneeling with a towel and a basin of water flashes in my mind. When I am offended, I pray that I will recall my Savior kneeling before the one who would betray Him and the one who would repeatedly deny Him. When I feel rejected or nurture self-pity, I pray that I will recall that He washed the feet of those who slept while He prayed and those who promised their support and then scattered as He suffered.
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