The Heart of a Servant

Two thousand years ago Christ met with his inner circle that included the twelve men he had spent the majority of time with. They gathered together to celebrate the Passover meal. These men had seen the amazing miracles that Jesus had performed. They heard his teaching and had lived with the teacher himself. These men had seen God incarnate - the very one who was there when the foundations of the earth were laid, when the stars were created, when every creature upon the earth was created. After the meal, Christ began to wash the feet of those men.

To consider God in flesh, who would disrobe down to his loin cloth, wrap a giant towel around himself and begin to wash the dust and grime off the feet of those men, is sobering. Through the power of the Holy Spirit Christ willingly took on the role of a servant. I can struggle with simply being kind to my family on some days. Those disciples, those men, didn’t really understand, yet, Christ served them. He knew their sins, their short-comings, their doubts, and how, in just a few hours, they would run and hide when was faced with death. Still, he loved them and he served them in the most humble way. But, we can believe that it’s so much more hurtful and unfair when someone wrongs us or our own husband wrongs us! We can imagine Christ serving selflessly, even those who will betray him. After all, he’s God -doesn’t he have to do what’s right. Didn’t he naturally have the capacity to forgive? Christ had the capacity because he relied on the Holy Spirit for strength and grace. Christ humbled himself, fully. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with god something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8. We like to think we have a way out, an excuse, but in reality that’s only a convenience we use to justify our disobedience. We have the same blessed opportunity to rely upon the same Holy Spirit for strength and grace.

We too, are equipped with the strength and grace enough to serve those around us. No one is undeserving of our service either...Christ also washed the feet of very one who would betray him...he lovingly washed the feet of Judas, who would a short time later.

May we walk today, in full realization that we have that same Holy Spirit, equipping us to serve as Christ served.