Learning to Lovewell: W6 - MON
Crosswalk will be a community that exemplifies servant leadership.
The Servant King
John 13:1-6, NLT 1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
It has long been one of my favorite scenes in the life of Jesus. On the eve of what would be a horrific experience that no human can fully identify with, Jesus took the time to teach his disciples a critical lesson on what it means to live in the kingdom of God.
In context, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the best and most deserving of sitting to the right of Jesus when Jesus took his throne. I’m sure they through out their accolades, their pedigrees, their knowledge, talents, and special skills, to prove their case of which one of THEM was the most important in the room…next to Jesus of course.
Meanwhile, as they argued, their Lord, Savior, and King, stood up and walked over to the corner of the room. I’m guessing none of them even noticed as they continued their “conversation.” Then, Jesus took a pitcher of water, and poured the water into a basin. Apparently, no servant in the house they were dining in had taken the time to perform the common act of hospitality.
However, this particular task wasn’t performed by just any servant, it was often reserved for the lowliest servant in the house, which in a Jewish household would have been a Gentile servant. They would have been so low, that the Jewish owner wouldn’t have even had a name for them.
And since they didn’t do it, one of his disciples should have. However, they were too busy trying to prove which one of them was better than all the others.
So Jesus, God in the flesh, the maker of Heaven and Earth, took off his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waste, and one by one started to wash his disciples feet.
The crowd hushed in silence and utter disbelief. What was Jesus doing? Why was he lowering himself in such a way? This task was beneath him, or was it? Was it beneath them, but for Jesus, continuing to pour himself out for the sake of others is exactly what he came to do.
Jesus communicated to them in this moment that there is NOTHING he wasn’t willing to do to show them his love, and he would prove that beyond any shadow of doubt in the next 12 hours as he went to the cross. Jesus taught them that in the kingdom of God, it’s not about gaining and hoarding power, its about giving it away and serving one another…in love. This, is servant leadership. This, is our call.
The Servant King
John 13:1-6, NLT 1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
It has long been one of my favorite scenes in the life of Jesus. On the eve of what would be a horrific experience that no human can fully identify with, Jesus took the time to teach his disciples a critical lesson on what it means to live in the kingdom of God.
In context, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the best and most deserving of sitting to the right of Jesus when Jesus took his throne. I’m sure they through out their accolades, their pedigrees, their knowledge, talents, and special skills, to prove their case of which one of THEM was the most important in the room…next to Jesus of course.
Meanwhile, as they argued, their Lord, Savior, and King, stood up and walked over to the corner of the room. I’m guessing none of them even noticed as they continued their “conversation.” Then, Jesus took a pitcher of water, and poured the water into a basin. Apparently, no servant in the house they were dining in had taken the time to perform the common act of hospitality.
However, this particular task wasn’t performed by just any servant, it was often reserved for the lowliest servant in the house, which in a Jewish household would have been a Gentile servant. They would have been so low, that the Jewish owner wouldn’t have even had a name for them.
And since they didn’t do it, one of his disciples should have. However, they were too busy trying to prove which one of them was better than all the others.
So Jesus, God in the flesh, the maker of Heaven and Earth, took off his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waste, and one by one started to wash his disciples feet.
The crowd hushed in silence and utter disbelief. What was Jesus doing? Why was he lowering himself in such a way? This task was beneath him, or was it? Was it beneath them, but for Jesus, continuing to pour himself out for the sake of others is exactly what he came to do.
Jesus communicated to them in this moment that there is NOTHING he wasn’t willing to do to show them his love, and he would prove that beyond any shadow of doubt in the next 12 hours as he went to the cross. Jesus taught them that in the kingdom of God, it’s not about gaining and hoarding power, its about giving it away and serving one another…in love. This, is servant leadership. This, is our call.
- Think about your work. Is there a task that you feel is beneath you? If so, what and why?
- Knowing how much Jesus did to serve and to save every one of us, what is one thing you know someone in your life could use today? One way to show them God’s love and his way of service in a practical, tangible, act?
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