“The greatest among you will be your servant.” Matthew 23verse 11. “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.” Mark 10 verse 45.
Many want to be great and would like to become great and here is the secret of greatness. These verses are life changing. Serving is a secret to greatness. Jesus Christ wants to show us what greatness means – and how to be great. Jesus was the greatest servant this world has ever seen – and yet, He was Lord and Master and King. Jesus served as a consequence of who He was.
Many of us have the wrong picture of a servant – someone who is mediocre – who is weak or who has not made it elsewhere or who has no vision for his life or no energy and motivation to be active. Jesus wants us to understand what it means to be a servant – and to be willing to serve.
John Chapter 13 – Jesus deeply loved these disciples. Something really important happened in this Upper Room. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. Jesus was motivated by Love.
Our great and awesome God comes into this world as a Man – the Creator becomes a Creature – to serve and to save!
No other faith draws close to this reality – none!
Knowing that Jesus loves us, frees us to love other people no matter what they have said about us – or done to us. You may not always love what you are doing – but you are able to love the people you are serving – with the help of Christ.
Servants of Jesus know who they are – along with a strong motivation, there is that knowledge of who they are in Christ. 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 13verses 3,4.
Jesus loved and served because He knew who He was – Jesus was confident about His identity.
Jesus said – You are the light of the world – You are the salt of the earth – You are a new creation – You are a child of God – chosen by God – adopted by God. You are my friends – friends of Jesus Christ – and in the family of God. Let Jesus reassure you of this – if you need that reassuring.
Servants meet needs – Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.
Jesus did what needed doing. Their hearts were proud, and their feet were dirty.
To wash feet is to act to meet someone’s need – this was not a religious ceremony – this was service – this was ministry.
Walking along some of the roads we travelled on in Uganda and Kenya – you got dirty feet – dirty shoes – at the end of the day they needed attention.
This was a pressing need in that Upper Room – and Jesus the servant and Lord met that immediate need.
Servants serve imperfect people – there are no other kinds of people – but this can cause disappointment and upset and distress and pain – the service we offer may be rejected. We must not let these consequences cause us to give up and stop.
Look at what things were like in that Upper Room – Luke 22verse 24 – same room – same people - a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
Judas saw all this – and Jesus continues to serve him – Jesus washed Judas’s feet and that plotting had already been planned – it was only hours away – and yet, Jesus serves Judas.
“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 washed Peter’s feet too – even after Peter had said ‘NO’. Servants serve imperfect people.
Servants are humble – the word means to stoop low – and that is what Jesus did as He washed feet. Jesus stooped.
As we think of Jesus coming into the world – God stooped to become a babe in a manger in Bethlehem – and a carpenter in Nazareth – until the time came to go down to the Jordan River.
What kind of ministry does God love? Jesus looks for humble ministry – now that goes against our culture and our thinking and what goes on inside us at times.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less .
Matthew 23verses 11,12 - “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
When Jesus had 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.”
Everything was there in that room – the basin – the towel – the water – it just had to be used to meet the needs of others.
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Verse 17
“Loving God – we see in this passage – and as we read on in John’s Gospel – that servants love – servants know who they are – servants meet needs – servants serve imperfect people – and servants are humble as they stoop and serve humbly . Once again, we thank You and praise You Father, for the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Help us to accept and embrace these lessons – in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.