At The Feet of Jesus

Posted by: Robert J. Pruitt on 2008-08-30

At The Feet of Jesus

Robert J. Pruitt: Former General Overseer of The Church of God

Putting oneself at another's feet is a univeral sign of humility and submission. One humbling himself in such a manner seeks the goodwill and benevolence of the one at whose feet he puts himself. By the act he is saying, "I am at your mercy. Do for me or to me what you will."

There are many instances in the Scriptures in which people either put themselves, or were put by someone else at the feet of Jesus. Although this practice did not originate with Jesus, it has more significance with Him than with anyone else. There is no one who could understand more about one's situation that He, and it is certain there is no one who could do more about it than He. His understanding of the problems and suffering of humanity is unparalleled. There is no compassion that runs as deely as does His and, what is more, He can bring about a miracle to meet the need if the situation warrants it. In any case, one could do no better than to put himself at the feet of Jesus.

There are many New Testament Scriptures which tell us of those who received the benefits and blessing of this position.

Once, when Jesus was ministering near the Sea of Galilee, He went up into a nearby mountain and sat down. His presence was known to a great multitude of people who brought to Him those who were in great need of help. It is recorded in the 15th chapter of the book of Matthew in these words, "And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole , the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."  In this great multitude there seemed to be people with almost every kind of of ailment and malady. They were already in a helpless situation, so it was no great thing or them to be put at the feet of Jesus. There was not the problem of bringing themselves down in humility at His feet, because they were in such a state there was no other source of help available to them. They were in a state of desperation and were willing to let Him do for them what He would.

The act of bringing this great host of helpless and afflicted ones to Jesus, by those who were able, was an expression of faith and confidence in His compassion and power to help them.

Such faith in necessary to get His help. They, no doubt, had heard that He was a healer and a worker of miracles, and that He would minister to those whom they brought to Him. They were not disappointed because the Scripture tells us he healed them. One does not have to wait until he is in a helpless and desperate situation before he puts himself at Jesus' feet, but most usually it is only then that one brings himself to do it. It is where one should be at all times in order to have His constant love and protection.

In the case of this multitude, they got even more than might have expected. It was this same group who had been healed of their physical maladies that Jesus saw to be weary and hungry. He saw a more immediate need than their healing. They were weary and hungry from their walk up the mountain to where He was. Only another miracle could take care of this need also, so He took several loaves and fishes and fed a multitude of four thousand me, besides women and children.

By coming to Jesus in this manner they received more than they had expected. That is the nature of His provision to those who humble themselves at His feet. The Apostle Paul made this acknowledgement of His over-abundant response with these words from Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Paul is dealing here with what one is able to do through the power and inspiration of the Spirit working within, but the same analogy applies to the working of faith in the individual. To put oneself completely into the hands of the Lord and be completely at His disposal is getting in the right position for God to work in any way needed. When one has made this committment, he can expect an overwhelming response from God. When God ministers to the needs brought to Him, He also sees other related needs which the person involved does not see. God takes care of those extra and unseen things also.

The multitudes who were brought to Jesus for healing probably had little thought of their hunger and weakness. What they really wanted more than anything else was their healing. They got not only that, but they went away refreshed and filled. If it had not been for Jesus making this provision also they, not doubt, would have returned to the city whole in body, but weary and faint from hunger. They were apparently willing to make this sacrifice for their healing, but Jesus wanted them to have both. They received, as Paul says, "...exceedingly abundantly above..." what they had asked or even thought. He is still doing those things like that for those who put themselves at His feet.

There was a man who was a ruler in one of the synagouges and his daughter was gravely ill. The man's name was Jarius and he had heard of Jesus. He was in a state of desperation also, because he knew his daughter would die if he did not get help immediately. His plight is expressed in the book of Mark, chapter 5, beginning at verse 22: "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagouge, Jarius by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed: and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him." As they were on their way to Jarius' house, there was an incident which is called the parenthetical miracle. This was the case in which the woman with the issue of blood moved through the throng and touched them hem of Jesus' garment. She was made whole of her sickness. This incident seeems to have taken only a short time and Jesus continued to Jaruius' house. They were met in the way by servants of Jarius who informed them that his daughter had died and there was no need to further trouble the Master. The news must have been a shock to Jarius because Jesus comforted him with the words, "...Be not afraid, only believe." Taking only Peter, James and John with Him, Jesus went into the house of Jarius and raised the daughter to life again ad directed that food should be given to her.

There is no doubt that Jesus was moved by the faith and humility of Jarius. His act of falling at the feet of Jesus was taken as real faith in time crisis. It was not a demonstration of voluntary humility to impress those around him, as the Pharisees often did. Jarius was in dire need and it brought him to the feet of Jesus in absolute sincerity when help from a divine source was imperative.

A similar case is found in the 7th chapter of Mark, verse 25. It was here that a Gentile woman, called a Syro-phoenician, fell at Jesus' feet and besought Him to heal her daughter who was possessed by a devil. After testing her faith, Jesus sent her home for some good news. Mark records it thusly, "And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." The saying to which Jesus referred was the woman's answer to Jesus' question about the preference of Jews over Gentiles in being recipients of God's blessings. The woman's answer indicated her humility and sincerity. These attitudes go far in evoking the help and blessing of the Lord. Besides the act of falling at His feet, the woman demonstrated her integrity of heart by showing no haughtiness or animosity at what would have been considered an insult or a personal affront by someone with less humility. True humility cannot be faked. It must be the real thing or somewhere along the line it will break down and the pretentious kind will be exposed.

In yet another case recorded in te 8th chapter of Luke, beginning at verse 26, Jesus encountered a man which had a legion of devils. The devils were cast out and the man was restored to his right mind. The man had been so nototrious that the whole countryside turned out to see what had happened when they heard the man was no longer raving maniac. In the 35th verse, Luke records their reaction: "They went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind: and they were afraid." One doesn't always have to be in a state of desperation to take his place at Jesus' feet. In the case of this man, his crisis was over, and he sat there out of adoration and worship of Jesus, who had delivered him from the devils. He was sitting there to learn more of the wonderful Saviour who had retrieved him from the wicked and tormenting hands of Satan who had wrecked his life. Now, in his right mind, he had chosen the best place. This, as much as anything else, showed that he had been restored to his right mind, because he could not have chosen a better place in which to receive the things he needed most.

It was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who also chose the position out of honor and worship rather than desperation. When Jesus cam to their house, Mary sat at His feet listening to the good things He had to say to her. Martha was angered by Mary's choice of hearing Jesus rather than applying herself to preparing food and household chores. Martha appealed to the Lord to get Mary to assist, but Jesus answered with the words, "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." With this, Jesus expressed His own feeling about those who choose to sit at His feet. There are many things that are desirable and good, but above all these there is one thing more needful, and that is sitting at His feet.

We cannot truly sit at the feet of Jesus until there is some recognition of His greatness and our smallness and weakness. Until He is recognized as the only source of divine help and that, in our insufficiency, we must lean wholly on Him or we will not receive His attention and response. It is said that one never stands taller than when he is kneeling at the feet of Jesus. There must be a lot of truth in that because it is from that position that He lifts those who are there to their greatest spiritual heights and ministers to all their needs.

(This article was originally published in the November 2006 issue of The Evening Light.)