He came to serve

He came to serve

Recently, I was privileged to hear a message by Pastor Lim on Jesus washing His disciple’s feet. Based on the text of John 13, we see an amazing scene where Jesus Christ, Lord and King, humbled Himself, got down and washed his disciples feet.

In those days, men walked around everywhere in sandals and the feet exposed to the dusty elements became very sandy and dirty. Before a meal, hence, it was common for the lowest servant to come and wash the feet of the guests. However, in this instance, no one had done so, and none of the disciples would have even contemplated doing such a menial and degrading task for the others. Hence, it was a great shock to them when their Master and Lord began doing this for them.

In the eyes of the world, power is seen as being able to lord over others and having the greatest number of people serving you. However, power in the eyes of God has a very different perspective. For us to understand, it is perhaps useful to look at the parent-child perspective. Comparing the parent to the child, the parent has all the power. The parent has more money, more physical strength, more intelligence than their children. They indeed have all the power, but how do they use this power? They use it to serve their children, to give them food to eat and clothes to wear, to provide for them education and entertainment and bring them joy.

It is important to look at the mind of the Lord before He did this act as an example for His disciples. It is first written in vs.1 “when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” Thus one of the reasons Jesus chose to serve His disciples in this way, was to show His great love to them while He still had the opportunity to do so in person. Secondly, it is written in vs.3 “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God” When a person in a high position of leadership is insecure, he tends to view subordinates as threats, and quite often, finds ways to put them down so that he himself continues to look good. However, when the leader is secure in his own mind, knowing his own capability and position, he does not fear serving others. In this case, Jesus knew fully well His position and place in God’s eyes, and therefore it was no shame for Him to stoop down and serve like the lowliest servant. For us, too, if we place our confident and trust in God, and are secure in Him, we will not be afraid to stoop down and serve when we are required to.

Later, Jesus explained to His disciples that they should also likewise wash one another’s feet, just as He washed their feet. The symbolic act was to crystallize in the disciples’ minds that their main roles were as servants, serving each other, and not for self-glorification and gain.

John Maxwell, the great author of leadership gave an illustration of a leader pushing others down compared to a leader lifting others up. The one pushing down would automatically drop lower and lower, while the one lifting up would go higher and higher.

In conclusion, Jesus washing His disciple’s feet has basically a two-fold purpose. The first purpose is to show the extent of His love to them and to us. In dying on the cross for us, He degraded Himself to the maximum extent, so that we might have eternal life in Him. The second purpose was to set an example for us, to serve others, with no service deemed as too lowly for us.

Thank You, Lord, that You loved us and gave yourself for us that we might have life. You endured our shame that we might share in your glory. You were rejected that we might be accepted. O bless You Lord. Teach me to love and serve others as you have loved me and sacrificed yourself for me. In Jesus name, Amen.