It was never the business of John Baptist to attract followers to himself. He had a commission from the Lord to send properly prepared people to Christ Jesus. So he had no intention build a school, a monastic order, a religion, or even a church. He had no desire to be Jesus’ rival; he had highest opinion of Lord. “He must increase….. “He is preferred before me………. “He was before me.” “He is from above and above all; I am not worthy to serve Him.”
In the course of his elevation of Christ and his own self-deprecation, he used our text. Untying shoes was usually work of lowest of servants – but it was considered an honor by John. He felt the Lord Jesus to be so infinitely superior, that only a king or angel was worthy to be His slave. And in this John ought to be commended, admired, and, most of all, copied.
But while we do these things, we must remember that John not an inferior sort of man. Jesus said that among children of women there was “none greater than John the Baptist,” Here was the subject of several specific prophecies – which can’t be said of your or me. He was friend of the Bride-groom. The MC of the revelation of God. He was not a reed shaken in wind – never bowing or cringing before any man. He was man of iron and thunder; the New Testament Elijah. His abilities included prophecy, preaching, teaching and persuading. He could draw large crowds that perhaps would put the modern mega-church preachers to shame. He was a teacher above the Rabbi’s, but he never attended a seminary. He felt the pulse of Israel and the heart of God, and the people could see this. Yet he still fell at the feet of Lord Jesus saying, “I’m not worthy tie or untie thy shoe.”
John could have been a leader of own sect – people loved him and followed him. But what kept him from that sin was high opinion of Christ. The higher our estimate of Christ – the more the Lord can trust us and use us. Too many are like Nebuchadnezar – “Behold this great Babylon which I have built.” John was never like that, no matter how many disciples surrounded him. What would this world be like, if all the true Christians were more like the first Baptist? I don’t mean the First Baptist Church in town, but the first Baptist of all time. What lessons can we learn from the loosing of Jesus’ shoes?
We can learn that no form of service to God is unworthy of God.
To unloose shoes of even the Lord Jesus may seem trivial to us. Me? I’d rather distribute bread to the multitudes. I’d rather give my boat to the Lord, or get Him a colt. I am willing to do anything honorable; something at which the neighbor won’t laugh. But if world thinks that it is too lowly, I won’t be able to do it. But in reality, nothing is dishonorable if through that thing Jesus is honored. There is nothing inglorious if the Lord is glorified in that thing. And besides, it is impossible to do any godly work below our own personal dignity. First, because our dignity is not more than a quarter inch off the gutter. Our native dignity doesn’t earn us the honor to clean the gutters of the castle of the Lord. And secondly, even the least form of serving Christ is higher and loftier than Mt. Rainer.
Think of it this way – the service of a child is different from service of friend or an employee. The small child doesn’t lend us money, paint our house, or roto-till our garden. Rather, the small child might think it an honor to bring us our slippers or to put our book away. The little things fit his capacity, and at the same time reveal his heart. There is beauty in the tiniest wildflower. Unloosing one’s shoe has the primary purpose of making the wearer more comfortable. If a person refuses do little things, just wanting to serve in big things, he shows more love for himself than he does for the Lord.
But the little things are sometimes just as necessary are the big ones. If Jesus’ shoes are not loosed and his feet washed from time to time, He will suffer. He might not be able to walk to next preaching point. Humanly speaking, it might be that the Saviour could get an infection if His feet are not cared for. Intercession is as important as preaching, teaching kids to sing might be as important as rebuking Herod. All one little lad did was give Jesus his supper, but what a miracle came of that. All that woman did was bake one little pancake for Elijah. Never say this is too trivial or that is too unimportant. That is impossible if what is done is for the Lord’s glory. At dedication of Milan Cathedral, a little girl declared, “I helped build that temple. “I carried my Daddies lunch pail to him every day.”
It is in the little things that we discern the true heart of servant. Several times Christ Jesus built immortal monuments over little works. A cup of cold water given to a servant of the Lord cannot loose its reward. The widow dropped just a couple of tiny coins in offering, but the world has been hearing about it for two thousand years. The reason Jesus mentioned these was because they reveal a devotion to God.
But besides devotion in little works, there is great fellowship with the Lord in these little things. The only way to loose the Lord’s sandal is to touch the foot of the Saviour. If the Lord gave us a choice between preaching, healing or washing feet? What would you choose? Honestly, I’d probably choose preaching, because that is what I do. But the best answer might be to wash Jesus’ feet. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, while Martha fed the guests – which one was more highly honoured? If we can do anything for Christ, even if it is quite lowly, we should yearn to do it.
And keep in mind that we not worthy of doing even that.
Often, even though someone does nothing to serve God, just because he does nothing sinful, he considers himself rather highly. The sharpest critics of the quarterback, never play quarterback. The best mothers, have never been a mother, or it has been so long they can’t remember the difficulties. The Christian who rarely serves God is an expert on theology, sermons and service. When these people criticize us, their words shouldn’t disturb us.
When we remember what we have been and done, it should force us to ask John’s question – “Me, Lord?” “What a wicked heart I have Lord, and what rebellion there has been in my life. Can it be that I can touch the feet of my Saviour?” Yes, it can be – the Lord saves us from our sin and from our past – to serve Him in the present. He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. They are forgiven and forgotten.
But doesn’t this small service require a better heart than what I have? No one knows the inadequacy of the human heart better than preacher. The prophet Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…” Yet the lips of that same Isaiah were touched by a coal off the altar of God. And then the Lord said, “Go and give this people all my words of my revelation.” Most us, if asked do something which usually brings praise, jump like fish towards a fat fly. But what if it brings shame? Then we are like Moses, pleading, “But, Lord, I stammer!” Many say, “If I can’t serve God with ten talents, then I won’t serve at all,” and then they bury what we have been given. If I can’t be an elephant in the work of Lord, than I refuse to be ant.
How quickly pride and self enter into our service for Lord. Faster than a snake on a mouse. “Lord, I spent Wednesday afternoon visiting the sick. No one else in the church did that sort of thing. “What a great Christian I am, for I loosed the shoe of the Lord.” “What is more no one knows, but you Lord, and that is even better. Right Lord? Remember that Christ Jesus has always gone lower for us than we have ever gone for Him. We were born in sin and chose sin, but He was made sin for us “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Who are we to serve the One who serves us so deeply and lovingly?
All this ought to stimulate us and not to discourage us.
Don’t say, “I am unworthy to serve God,” unless you are still so outwardly sinful that your service would bring shame to Christ. If you bear the stench of sin, you really are unworthy and do cause Christ shame. You’d serve better by battling with your own filth than by putting your wretched hands on the laces of the Lord. But John had no major sin problems in his life. He felt unworthy to serve, because of sin in a general sense, but in fact he had been made worthy by the grace of God. Gideon felt unworthy; Moses and David felt – and indeed they had been. But they served never-the-less, because at times their hearts were right before God. Paul was the least of all saints, and yet he witnessed to kings. We have the illustrations of notable Christians, but we also have commands of the Lord.
The Lord says, “I know you are not fit serve me, but to show my grace I command you serve me anyway.” The Lord, in grace, is willing to let us serve Him in a few little things. If it is nothing more than loosing Master’s shoe, let us to it for Christ.