I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Living the crucified life wherein Christ lives in us is the chief objective of the Christian life. However, this is easier said than done as we all battle the tendency to seek our own things. The repetition of the principle of selflessness validates the truth of this struggle as we must be frequently reminded of the weaknesses so common to humanity. Creating new habits is quite difficult, but it can be done if we apply ourselves to the task. Consider a sampling of the calls to give preference to others from the New Testament. In Romans 12:10 we are told to, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” As Paul told the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). And again, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24). The goal of such an attitude is to clear the way to salvation for as many as possible. Consider again Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians, “…just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). John takes the love and service of others to the ultimate in 1 John 3:16 saying, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Some may be thinking at this point that this is all too much. However, the constant theme in this is that Jesus asks nothing of us He was not willing to do or has not done Himself. Consider John’s first statement in 1 John 3:16 concerning the source of our knowledge of the love of God. It is because Jesus laid down His life for us that we know what love is. In Paul’s charge to the Philippians, he followed the demands with a recitation of the humility of Christ in putting others ahead of Himself. This is such a major deal when we consider His rank in the grand scheme of things. When He condescended to humanity, He was in the form of God. He was and is God (John 1:1). So, when we see our Superior surrender His rights in order to serve His inferiors, it is the height of arrogance to refuse to serve our equals on this earth in imitation of our Superior in heaven.
In John 13:1-17, Jesus put His servant spirit on full display and turned societal convention upside down and inside out. When no one took up the task of washing feet before supper, Jesus stopped in the middle of the meal and took it upon Himself. The most likely explanation is that there was no servant to do the job, so the disciples were content to eat with dirty feet rather than stoop to such a lowly position. You can imagine their surprise when their Master began to do that which was beneath even certain servants in a household. Peter expressed verbally what they all must have felt internally when he initially refused to allow his King to wash his feet. Nonetheless, Jesus made it clear his place with Him was dependent on his being washed by Him. In the process, He left an example that all who profess to belong to Him ought to serve one another as He did. We must never forget a servant is not greater than his Master that we may serve like our King (John 13:12-17).