“Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:16-17
“Valentines Day is on a Saturday this year, how perfect,” the young newlywed smiled ruefully,” at least for all the couples out there.” She envisioned what they would do to celebrate if her husband were home today. They could begin by enjoying a leisurely breakfast together.
But no, her knight-in-shining-armour left for work before dawn. He was not scheduled to work. He would not be paid overtime for his efforts.
No.
He was a design engineer. Because of a customer rush request, he had asked his manufacturing crew to work extra to accomplish the job.
On Saturday.
On Valentine’s Day.
Never mind the plant was three hours away. This young college graduate, “this young buck,” as the workers called him, was not asking his middle-aged blue-collar workers to do something he wouldn’t.
On Valentine’s Day, he left his bride of six months, and drove three hours to the factory were he’d donned denim and rolled up his sleeves.
Nothing was beneath him. You would not hear him mutter, “It’s not my job.” His actions and attitude won the respect of both his bride and those factory workers that day.
In John 13, Jesus, the disciples’ teacher and Lord, surprised ‘his own who were in the world,’ by taking on the role of a servant.
Simon had too much respect to allow the Lord to perform such a lowly task. Only the lowest of servants would wash someone’s sandy, soiled, sweaty feet. Higher-ranking servants would balk at such work. And yet, here was their teacher, their Lord, about to perform the lowest of tasks.
Why?
To show them, that nothing is beneath him.
To show us, that nothing should be beneath us.
You need to serve others as Jesus has served you.
Just like that young engineer, Jesus was saying, “I’m in this business with you and I’ll do whatever it takes.” For Jesus, the goal was for others to see God. If that took washing other’s feet, break out that towel.
Reflections:
What task do I balk at performing, why? How could performing those tasks potentially draw others to God?
Read John 13:17. How have you been blessed by serving others?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for such an example of servitude. Please place a servant heart within me. May the actions I do draw others to You. Amen
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