Why we serve
On Valentine’s Day this year our church had a Couples’ Dinner. It was a lovely event. The Fellowship Hall (basement of the church) was decorated with tall plants in large vases, branches intertwined with white twinkling lights, material with outdoor scenes covered the walls, and a table was laden with good food. The men got to carve our names in small tree trunk slices, sang to us “our” songs, and washed our feet. The foot washing was particularly poignant
. How vulnerable we are, both when we are washing someone’s feet and when our feet are being washed. One is sitting and the other is crouched down below. So neither the foot washer nor the one whose feet are being washed can move quickly in the event of an emergency. One is shoe-less and the other is bent down to the task, oblivious to the surroundings.
As I had my Quiet Time the other day, I was struck anew by a verse in John. Don’t you love how God shows us new truths in verses we have read many times? In John 13, Jesus is at the Last Supper and washes His disciples’ feet.
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. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:3-5 NIV
As I read this passage, I stopped at the first part. Why was Jesus motivated to serve? How could He, the Lord of the universe, stoop so low as to wash His disciples’ feet? It came out of the knowledge of who He was and His relationship to His Father. The same is true of us! As Christians, we are in a right relationship with God. We are justified; we are saved by grace; we are right with God. It is because of our right relationship with God that we can freely, lovingly, happily serve others.
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22, 24 NIV
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy… Titus 3:5 NIV
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:19a,21 NLT
A wonderful reminder about serving others. It is humbling to be at someone’s feet and it’s hard to imagine our Lord Jesus doing so. But that is what He has done for us; dying to save us. Your post also reminds me that it’s not about me. I am to serve others.
Amen – thanks Debbie.
I can imagine that this is a very humbling experience. I am thankful that Jesus came to serve, and took our sin.
This is a precious reminder of our motivation to please Him. Service is not about works. It’s about love.