BREAKING

Why is servanthood such a difficult concept to embrace? Perhaps it's our innate selfishness. Perhaps, fear. Jesus personified proper leadership through servanthood. He led as a shepherd does, from the rear. He was not afraid to be humbled. He was not afraid of man. He did His Father's Will with perfection. He allowed Himself to be nothing in order that we could be something.

As I have prayed about this, God has spoken to me in His usual word-picture method. He has shown me a picture of a slatted wood bucket, like those used to crush grapes for wine, standing in the center of a lush, rolling hill area. The bucket was filled with warm, sudsy water, rather than wine. The steam rose in curlicues above the heads of two people; one standing in the water, one outside. Both heads were bowed and both were shedding tears. The tears fell and fell into the water finally filling it to overflowing.

Tears, as we all know, can be shed for many reasons. I received the impression that these were tears of breaking-- the tears were falling because God had released something through this activity. I never saw the faces, it wasn't necessary. I was, however, aware of someone standing behind a tall cedar watching this frothy union. The presence seemed to be waiting patiently. It seemed to know that eventually, being human, they would fall into the bucket. They would splash and kick and finally sink under the water of their selfish need to be at the center of the universe. It knew that we cannot avoid falling in love with the reflection we see in the water.

        Even when Jesus knew that He was going to be betrayed, He began an activity so fraught with obedience and the passionate and pure Love from the very heart of God, the disciples were awed.

        “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God, and that He 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

        Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

        “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”

        Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”

        “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.”

        Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean, though not every one of you….”

        When He finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place.

        “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call Me ‘Teacher' and ‘Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the Truth, 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 13:3-10, 12-17).

        One of my commentaries states, “Jesus was the model servant, and He showed His servant attitude to His disciples. Foot washing was a common act in Bible times. People traveled mostly on foot in sandals across the dusty roads of Judea. When entering a home, it was customary to wash one's feet. To not offer to wash a guest's feet was considered a breach of hospitality. Washing guest's feet was considered a job for a household servant to carry out when guests arrived. It was a subservient task—wives might was their husband's feet, etc. but not the other way around. What was unusual about this act was that Jesus, the Master and Teacher, was doing it FOR His disciples…Jesus did not wash their feet just to get them to be nice to each other. His far greater goal was to extend His mission on earth after He was gone.”

        Mark 10:45 tells us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus, in utter humility and submission, although a King, viewed Himself as a servant. My question is; how can we think more of ourselves than that? This is not about the actual washing of feet necessarily (although it could be). It is about humility and obedience, Love and obedience, humility and service, all character traits that reflect our Lord and Savior.

        What prevents us from just doing this? Could it be pride? There are different kinds of pride. There is haughty pride and there is false pride. This act of washing encompasses both. Haughty pride would turn up her already upturned nose at someone's smelly feet. She would refuse by saying, “EWWW that touchy-feely stuff makes me nauseous.” Her refusal would echo her heart's desire to be the most important. And she would be far from God.

False pride, on the other hand, would turn down her forlorn head. She would refuse because she felt unworthy. She would say, “I can't stand for you to do for me.” She would forego a blessing in order to remain in her falsely humbled state---away from God.

My commentary states, “Some people serve naturally…hospitality is their gift. For others, serving is an ordeal….for these, hospitality becomes an uncomfortable chore. Some find it difficult to accept service from others…being helped makes them feel inadequate or vulnerable. They are unable to be gracious when they are not in control. We need to remember that the true point of serving is to obey and imitate Jesus Christ. Likewise, accepting service from others is accepting Christ's service. Christ elevated serving others as the highest pursuit to which we can dedicate our lives.”

Here is the thing; serving others breaks us. It rips “the us from us” and replaces it with God's PERFECT Love. It aligns our crooked spirit with His straight as an arrow Spirit. All the empty, fruitless and pointless staring at our reflections is eclipsed by God's face. We will be broken, yes, and that can be painful, and… HUMBLING , but broken in a God-fixable way.  We will at once receive and give in a powerful manner. And, all those tears…all those hot, salty tears that have poured from our eyes, that have been an outward expression of our inward brokenness, will have washed away the selfishness that keeps us from TRUE humbled service to our Father.

Contact Michele at: mlapointe@twcny.rr.com