“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” – Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)
A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.
Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his European brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but was met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.
When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never knew by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps this episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true greatness. (“A Call to Excellence” by Gary Inrig)
Despite being God incarnate, Jesus did not cling to the prerogatives or privileges of deity. He came as a servant and to be a human sacrifice for man’s sin. He did not consider himself equal to God, although he was God. He didn’t see himself better than anyone else; never once laid his hand on someone in anger. His stomach grumbled like everyone else’s when he became hungry and needed food. He thirsted for water on hot summer days. He too would get tired and need sleep and rest. He had the full human experience! He experienced love, joy, sadness, anger, pain, and frustration. He even cried.
But not once did He sin. He was blameless and perfect. And He endured persecution, pain, suffering, and death to rescue the world from sin.
What status do we cling to today? Are we above shining someone else’s shoes? Or as Jesus did during the Last Supper, washing someone’s feet? What deed of kindness, what act of service, do we feel is beneath us?
“God, help us this day to become more loving, more trusting, more giving, and more willing to do whatever you ask. Help us be more like your Son, Jesus. Amen.”
Former Blackout Artist 