In the Service of Others

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ¹

"Lord, help me to understand what it means to serve you by serving others."

May this be the prayer of all who desire to follow Jesus. In the Gospel of John, the curtains are opened for us into one of Christ's most vulnerable acts of love and humility: the washing of his disciples' feet. ² John describes this selfless act as a capstone to Christ's enduring love:

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ³

What makes Jesus' act of service in washing his disciples' feet so amazing, so intriguing? I believe it is the position he served them from. John enlightens us to three significant truths out of which Jesus moved in his service of others -

• He carried the mantel of his Father's authority.

• His knew his identity, where he came from.

• He knew his future, the glory he would soon receive.

His authority. His identity. His future.

Out of this knowledge, he humbly knelt before each of his imperfect disciples and washed away the filth and stench their feet had picked up from walking the streets of this life. This divine understanding both empowered Jesus to serve his disciples and brought to light his immense humility and enduring love for mankind.

To fully grasp the impact of what Jesus did, we need to consider that the very ones he was serving would betray him, deny him, and abandon him. It's important to understand this because in the service of others our experience is often less than flowery. Service often requires a laying down of self along with the shocking admission that ... well, it's not all about us!

Jesus left us with the command to love one another - as he loved us. ⁴ In Jesus we find the perfect example of what it means to love God by loving others. And there is no greater model in any man but Jesus of what it means to perfectly serve another. The great theologian Augustine said that it was madness to not know how to love a person as he should be loved. ⁵ Jesus, the Word made flesh who has inhabited humanity, has shown us how to love and serve one another appropriately.

So, are we willing to serve? And who are we willing to serve? If Jesus would serve those who would betray him, deny him, and abandon him, can we consider it too high a calling to serve those we don't agree with? Can we find an excuse to not lower ourselves into the humble service of those who have hurt us? Are we exempt from pouring into the one who may reject us? Christ did this and more, and by his power and grace, he will enable the willing among us to do so as well.

References

¹ John 13:7

² John 13:1-17

³ John 13:1

⁴ John 15:12 - 'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. '

⁵ Confessions, Book Four, VII