The Perfect Servant – April 18, 2019

“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.”
John 13:3-4

The Perfect Servant

“If I was all-powerful, what would I do?” Have you asked yourself that question? Just try to imagine the possibilities.

Well, Jesus was all-powerful. And, on Thursday night of Holy Week, what did he do with that power? He used it to wash his disciples’ feet. Washing feet was the job for the most menial servant. It was an unpleasant job. In Jesus’ day, people walked on roads which were dusty or muddy. And, remember that animals also traveled on those roads, leaving behind their, well, you know. So foot-washing was a nasty job!

Jesus was willing to do that nasty job. Even though he is all-powerful, he chose to set aside his power and his rights so he could serve.

As Jesus’ followers, he calls on us to have the same servant-like attitude. He calls on us to put the needs of others before our own—the needs of our spouse, our children, our parents, our friends, our co-workers.

And when we fail, Jesus tells us to look to him for forgiveness. After all, he promises to give his followers credit for his perfectly loving life. And, in exchange, he took our perfectly sinful lives to the cross. So now, in God’s eyes, we are perfectly loving servants.

Let’s live that way. May Jesus’ willingness to serve us perfectly move us to serve others just as willingly and selflessly.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for serving me! Fill my heart with gratitude and open my eyes to opportunities to serve others this day, even as you served me. Amen.