OUT OF THE IVORY PALACES

The thought occurred to me today that the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet can only be understood in its completeness with at least a measure of insight into His existence before Bethlehem. At its most minimal lesson, the story of the servanthood of Jesus that night at Passover is wonderful. Yet, spending some meditative moments upon the Christ of heaven’s glory had a sobering effect on me.

If you think of Christ in terms of His earthly stay, walking about with His disciples, ministering to people, living simply, healing the sick, sleeping and eating alongside humankind, the story of His bending down to wash the feet of the disciples is a touching and meaningful story, enough so to bring about the desired learning in our lives. Jesus, the Son of God, bent down to serve the disciples. He bent down to serve His disciples as an act of servanthood, but equally as an example to us. We really do not need more explanation than this to stir our hearts to get it right.

As I sat in the waiting room before my root canal, I spent some time leafing through the incredible magazine, Architectural Digest. Several times before I had encountered this magazine, usually in a doctor’s office, and always, being somewhat an admirer of remarkable design, have been amazed at the beauty of the featured buildings.

This time, as I turned over the pages, I thought, “If these places are so absolutely gorgeous, what must heaven be like?” Slowly, that day and in the days following, I began to meditate on the descriptions of heaven’s glory in the pages of the Bible. Passages in Ezekiel and Daniel and especially in Revelation came to mind. Then there was the mention of the “ivory palaces” in Psalms.

How does this tie into Jesus washing the disciples’ feet? The truth of the story, in my mind, gains enormous punch when the pre-Bethlehem surroundings of our Lord are considered. With our small Western-culture minds, it is nearly impossible for us to comprehend royalty and especially, perfect and righteous royalty. I began to picture Jesus in the setting of light and white and rainbow and ivory and gold. I saw Him as one who walked about with honor hard to comprehend. His backdrop was a glistening palace where He was the King. When He stooped down to bathe the sandy feet of His followers, it was a much greater condescension than we can grasp.

There, kneeling on the floor, towel in hand, wash basin nearby, the King of Kings, the joy of heaven, the Son of the Most High God, set an example for me that is much more compelling than can be explained with a few words. It was the King, still the King, taking upon Himself the form of a servant. There is no mistaking God’s desire for us on this subject. It is clear. We are to serve, but more than that, we are to be servants, putting others first, caring for their needs, blessing them even when they don’t deserve it…after all, not long before this foot-washing scene, the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest!

When is the last time you “let this mind be in you?”