In Humility

Recently I came across a painting by Simon Dewey titled "In Humility".  It is a close up of Jesus washing the feet of one of His disciples.  You actually see very little of the disciple because the painting is focused on Jesus on his knees, holding the foot and washing it. 

It is a beautiful picture and I purchased five 5 X 7 prints of it.  One for me and the others to give as gifts.  If you are interested in seeing it go to http://www.altusfineart.com/

I look at the picture and and think about humility and sometimes I almost get it.  Have you ever really concentrated on the mystery of the Trinity and sometimes for maybe a nano second, it is perfectly plain and understandable and then just that quick it is gone? 

Well that is how humility is with me, but this morning, for a a brief moment, I almost had it and I want to share a few thoughts on it before they are completely gone.  Now you need to understand, they may not be correct in all (or any) points, because I am just trying to work this through.

Humility isn't about "oh, I'm so unworthy"  or "I'm nothing".  Jesus and Mary are perfect models of humility and they didn't feel or think that way.  Washing the feet of the disciples was an act of humility, but it wasn't humiliating for Jesus because He knew exactly who and what He was.   
In fact, I am thinking that in order to practice true humility we must know exactly who and what we are too.

I am an adopted daughter of God, a joint heir with Christ and His little sister.  He shed His perfect sinless blood to purchase my salvation = how valuable does that make me?  My mother is the Queen of all the Angels and Saints.  My mother is the daughter of God the Father, the mother of God the Son, the spouse of God the Holy Spirit by whom she conceived Jesus. 

What that means is that nothing I do, nothing that is done to me, and nothing people think about me can humiliate me.  Therefore, I don't have to worry that something might be beneath me.  Likewise, I don't need to do things to make myself look more important, or more holy or more anything in the eyes of anybody,  I particularly don't need to put people down so that I look bigger in comparison. I am free to perform acts of love for God and man with no thought of the opinions of others.

Jesus, Creator of the universe and Savior of mankind could perform the ultimate act of humility and leave the throne of heaven and become human and like a servant wash the feet of His disciples out of love because it in no way lessened who He was -- and even if it would, for the love He bore us He wouldn't care and would do it anyway.