When I worked for Mercer basketball, our head coach would always unload bags from the bus on road trips. One year we got a new trainer, and the first time he saw the coach unloading bags, he asked what was happening. He had never seen a head coach take on that task. Unloading bags was seen as something below the coach’s paygrade. It was meaningful and noteworthy that our coach was willing to serve others in a role lower than his position.
Jesus is the perfect example of a leader stooping to serve others. Service was a major part of His ministry. One of the most profound examples is when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, a task well below His position. By setting this example, Jesus made it clear that we must also serve others as a reflection of His love and kindness. After washing the disciples’ feet, John 13:12-17 records Jesus telling them why they must also humbly serve others.
12 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? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. – John 13:12-17
- Reflective service requires us to leave our rightful place
As the most important person in the house, Jesus deserved to be seated at the head of the table. But He chose to set His position aside in order to humbly serve His disciples. We need to let go of what we think we deserve so we can serve like Christ.
- Reflective service demands a willingness to stoop
Not only do we need to let go of our status, but we need to embrace tasks that we deem below us. Washing feet was only done by the lowest slaves, yet Jesus still did it. As Christians, we need to realize that we are never too good to serve others.
- Reflective service reminds us of our true position
Christians are children of God, but we are also servants of God. When we call Jesus Lord, we acknowledge that He has all the authority in our lives. That means that we are not better than anyone else, so we must be willing to serve everyone we encounter.
- Reflective Service leads to God’s blessing
Jesus tells us that acts of service do not only benefit others, but they are also good for us. We are blessed when we obey God and live like Christ. It is not enough to know we are supposed to serve, we must actively obey.
Jesus is the ultimate example of serving others despite His position of authority. Since we have His Spirit within us, we must serve others the way He did.
– If you’d like to hear the full message, click HERE