Knowing and Kneeling

John 13:3 "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God, so . .. .

As I was reviewing for our recent Maundy Thursday service, I was again awestruck at the fact that Jesus knelt at the feet of Judas - and then proceeded to wash the grime from his betrayer. How can someone put every thing aside and do what goes against the nature of man? Every fiber in our body tells us to break from those who hurt us.

I believe that one of the keys is found in verse 3. He knew His place. He knew that all things were in Him, under Him, for Him. He knew the love of the Father in a way that was (is) deep and eternal. When you know your place, you are able to kneel before a betrayer and wash their feet. You are able to humble yourself, to place others, even enemies, above you.

Many aren't able to do this because they are always in fear of losing something. They think that if they kneel before a "Judas" in their life then they will be placing themselves in a position of defeat and loss. But if you know your true position in Christ, you can kneel. You can forgive. You can reconcile. You can offer your cloak, your hand, your money.

There are many who have broken relationships with their brothers and sisters in the Lord and they think it's okay, that they can still go on in power and victory. But Christ has shown us that this is not true. It reveals a lack of faith, a lack of trust, a lack of confidence in their place in Christ. If this matter remains unsettled, then they are stuck. We are told to reconcile before offering up our sacrifices. But we can't reconcile if we aren't willing to kneel, and we can't kneel if we don't have deep faith.

Christ washed the feet of Judas. Because He knew, He could kneel. Because He could kneel, He could offer up His body as a living sacrifice to His enemies and betrayers.