M
ost of us live in the realm of good intentions. There are many things that we think we will get to, even believe we should get to, but somehow never do. We intend to help a friend move, but don’t show up…intend to care for a family in need, but never do…intend to connect with that teen in our church who lost his father, but never seem to either have or make the time to do so. We hear the announcement at church requesting volunteers to help with a ministry and even feel the Spirit tug at our heart to prayerfully consider our involvement, but then never get around to even praying about it, let alone volunteering for that ministry. We have all kinds of excuses to explain why we don’t serve: I’m too busy. I don’t feel qualified. That’s what we pay the church staff to do. I’m overwhelmed with my own stuff. No one ever serves me.
CHRIST-MODELLED SERVICE Jesus modelled service. Christ coming to serve us cost Him His life. He served us to this extent: He willingly died so we could live. The God of this universe, who spoke everything into existence…who created the sun, moon and stars and holds everything together by His might and will, left the beauty and glory of eternity, cloaked this deity with humanity and lived among us. At the end of His life, He hung on a cross, the most torturous form of death known to humanity, as the Father’s wrath was poured out on Him so He could extend forgiveness to
us and grant us the privilege of being in relationship with Him. God served us with His life. He never needed to experience pain, exhaustion, hunger or death but He did so for us. If you want to know what God is like, take a look at Jesus. As the apostle John writes, “It was just before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the full extent.” As Jesus is about to express the full extent of His love for us on the cross, He shares in a meal with His disciples. “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” (John 13) Jesus is imminently going to face the brutal violence of the cross. He will be mocked, whipped, and beaten while He suffocates, dehydrates and suffers the wrath of the Father for us. In these last moments of His life, He doesn’t need to serve anyone—I know I wouldn’t.
I thank God Jesus is so different than us. Jesus gets up from the meal, takes off his outer clothing, places a towel around His waist and washes His disciples’ feet. He not only acts like a servant but He looks like one. Feet in sandals are filthy. As the disciples walked along the mid-eastern roads, in the sweltering sun, their feet were disgusting. The lowliest of servants washed feet. The water, towel and basin are there. Any of the disciples could have washed each other’s feet. No one does. They all dig in and eat. They all knew someone should wash everyone’s feet. They all knew there was no servant there to do so. They all saw the water, towel and basin. And all of them did nothing. Maybe it was because they all thought this menial task was beneath them. Maybe it was because they all thought this job was for ‘another’ disciple. But not Jesus. Jesus does the unimaginable. He washes their feet. “He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Peter’s great. He didn’t wash anyone’s feet. He wasn’t willing to serve and now he’s going to tell Jesus, the Messiah, what to do because Jesus has turned the established order of
We think people owe us when we serve them.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016 SEVEN 19