So let me ask you this question – who do you think you are?

Are you confident, self-assured and not easily influenced? Do you feel others come to you for your advice? Do you consider yourself someone who can easily do things without having to ask permission?

There is a story of a tour group being shown through the home of Paganini, the great violinist, when a young, impetuous girl snatched up his Stradavarius and began to play. When she put it down, the tour guide resumed talking, saying that Fritz Kreisler, another famous violinist, had recently visited the house. “Oh,” said the girl, “I’ll bet he did just what I did and played on Paganini’s violin!”

“No, miss,” said the guide, “Everyone begged him to, but he said he was not worthy to play it.”

There is another story from ancient times when servants washed the feet of guests as they entered a house, because walking everywhere in the heat and the dirt made one quite nasty. At one house, no one greeted the guest of honor, much less everyone else.

In a culture without chairs, everyone reclined around the table on the floor with pillows, which meant your neighbor’s feet were in your face. I can tell you from exposure to my teenage son’s feet, I would certainly not be in a mood to eat!

Finally, as he continued teaching those who had gathered for this meal, the honored guest rose, grabbed a towel and began washing the feet of the guests himself - all of the guests. It turns out that one of the guests would be responsible for his arrest and eventual death. And both the honored guest and the traitor knew it. In advance.

In one case, an impetuous girl – and everyone around her thought, “You shouldn’t be doing that!” In the other case, a Man above all men, and everyone around him thought, “You shouldn’t be doing that!”

So let me ask you again – who do you think you are?