Make Me a Servant Like Jesus

If you’ve been a Christian for very long, you probably know the story (and when I say, “story,” you know that I mean “true story”) about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. But when I recently read this again (as I was creating this month’s free Facebook header) so many wonderful lessons stood out to me – more than I had ever realized before. {The Word of God is wonderful like that, continually unfolding in numerous ways when your heart and mind is ready for it.} I knew that this passage would go along perfectly with the “Make Me a Servant” scripture writing plan – we will focus almost entirely on this passage and what we can learn from it. 

Let’s take a look at the first few verses from John 13:

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 

Lesson #1: Jesus knew He would be leaving his earthly friends soon – we don’t know exactly when WE will be leaving this earth, so we need to be ready at all times. My dear friend Marah has had two family tragedies in the last month – both her father and her mother-in-law have had sudden unexpected health crises (a heart attack and a massive stroke) which resulted in both of their untimely deaths. Fortunately, we believe that both of these Christians were ready to meet their God. Both loved their own until the very end. 

I feel that simply the awareness that Jesus had – the short amount of time He knew He was granted – spurred Him on to make use of the time He had. And how did He use His time? Speaking and showing love. We should do the same!

During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.

Lesson #2: We know what Jesus is about to do – well, if He doesn’t just go ahead and include Judas Iscariot in His feet-washing, even though He already knew how this was going to end up – wow!! 

We can take something big from this. Go ahead and love your enemies. Not only did Jesus say that but HE DID IT. 

He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

Lesson #3: People may not need their feet actually washed today, but what DO they need? Find out and then do it. 

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 

Lesson #4: Don’t resist what Jesus requires of you. Peter thought he was being virtuous by not allowing Jesus to serve Him – he instinctively knew it should be the other way around. It would feel WEIRD and WRONG and UNCOMFORTABLE to let Jesus make you clean. That was a servant’s job. Jesus was a King. Peter didn’t UNDERSTAND it. And we humans like to understand things.

But who was he to try to put off the Son of God?? He was perfect. We need to let Him do what He needs to do. We need to obey His every command. Jesus said if he didn’t wash Peter, he would have no share with him. I liken this to our need for and submission to Him in baptism, even if we don’t understand exactly why or we have been taught otherwise. But Romans 6:3-8 states: 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Peter had previously stated, quite adamantly, “You shall never wash my feet!” But after He heard that He could not be one with Christ unless He let him perform this duty, He repented and begged for forgiveness. 

Let us all answer like Peter – wholeheartedly, immediately, submissively. “Yes, Lord, not just what you ask – please take all of me.” Even it seems weird or wrong or uncomfortable…even if it’s not what you were raised to do. Even if “nobody else” is doing it that way. Even if it seems beneath us. 

Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Lesson #5: Jesus started out describing the physical state, but finished with a note about the spiritual state. He did this so often in His teachings. It was a way for those around him to understand things better, and using analogies is my own personal favorite way to learn. 

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example,that you also should do just as I have done to you. 

Lesson #6: Obviously, they knew that He had simply washed their dusty, dirty feet. He was asking if they understood WHY. He was teaching them HOW to be servants. It’s one thing to command His followers to love and serve each other, but it’s another thing altogether to show them the lengths one might need to go to while practicing servanthood. We’re even urged to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of service:

…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

You might have to lay down your ego and your pride and gain a little (or a lot of) humility to follow Jesus into service. Just like a mama having to clean up a dirty diaper from her sweet baby or scrubbing the kitchen floor on your hands and knees – service is often something that might be unpleasant at times. But that is what we are called to do, with an attitude of love to match. This glorifies God and that is a Christian’s main job. Make me a servant; make me like You.

I love this passage from Luke 12:36-38:

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants who the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and serve them.

Now, doesn’t that sound just like Jesus? =) ~Kristen

I hope you enjoy this smartphone wallpaper – this “make me a servant” stuff is definitely a counter-cultural message, but can you imagine what our world would be like if we ALL submitted to and served each other daily? It’s a beautiful thought and it makes me long for Heaven…