Having the Servant’s character
“Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, 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 for you. John 13:12-15
God is not after our comfort but He is after in developing our character. This is what is reflected from the text when Jesus demonstrated an example of serving in humility. When we claim that we are God’s followers, we will serve the way He served. We cannot serve others at arm’s length or in abstention. Commitment to God calls for our presence and personal involvement. With all His humility, Jesus said quite plainly and directly that they were right in addressing Him as “Teacher” and “Lord.” Certainly, if the Son of God is willing to stoop to perform such a menial task, His followers should be willing to undertake anything for Him and for each other. “No servant is greater than his master” (John 13:16). The act that Jesus took requires unselfishness. To obey Christ’s command, Jesus said “...you also should do just as I have done for you.” We'll need to see others as Christ sees them. We'll need to risk reaching out, giving up the luxury of staying safe and to give up our personal preferences for His. Unselfishness never comes easy for oftentimes we will be inconvenienced. But once we do what God wants us to do, He promised that we will be blessed. “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). When we follow God and live our lives by His examples, it will result to experiencing real happiness. When we carry out what He commands we do because we truly believe that He is our Lord and Teacher then we will experience the joy of serving Him by serving others. We are not just to read and study His word and do nothing about what we have learned. We have to roll up our sleeves, wrap the towel around our waist, and cheerfully like Christ who was "gentle" and "humble in heart” look for the opportunity to “wash one another’s feet.” But be reminded that having a servant’s heart does not mean that we will not got through suffering, hearts will not be hurt or get ripped off. Just like Christ, even when we are humble and gentle in heart, we will be persecuted. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples after He mentioned to them His death on the cross. “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Serving God never comes easy but this is how we glorify Him and prove that we belong to Him. “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
