John 13:1-7 KJV
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Do We, or Don't We?
The definition of “servant” is one that performs duties for others or serves others.
In God’s word, a “servant” refers to a person who carries out the will of another, in a humble and obedient manner. Christ teaches us that a servant obeys a call to serve others with no thought of self. And in these verses, we see Christ’s teaching on being a servant.
As we begin the lesson, let us first ask ourselves this question. “Why do we do things to help others, either in our personal lives or in our jobs?”
Do we do things for recognition or acclaim? Or for self-glory? Or out of selfishness or self-importance?
Or in our jobs, do we serve others simply for money and benefits?
Regardless of our education or skills, many if not most of our jobs are “servant” jobs meaning we serve or take care of others or their possessions.
Bankers, accountants, doctors, nurses, financial planners, bakers, housecleaners, landscapers, mechanics, and on and on, are positions that serve the needs of their customers, clients or patients.
However, even though we may have a job or profession that serves others, we may not have the “heart of a servant.”
Jesus Provides the Example
Jesus gives us the example above all examples, of the heart of a servant in our lesson scriptures from the book of John. He doesn’t just teach us in words, but He teaches us in actions and actual deed.
He who was king of kings, lord of lords and God incarnate, had the absolute right to want or demand others to serve him. But He gave us this example of “the heart of a servant.”
As He washed the disciple’s feet, he would have come to the one that He knew was going to betray him for 30 pieces of silver. He would come to the one that he knew was going to set in motion His journey to the cross and His death of crucifixion.
Yet, and I want us to think carefully and deeply about this.
Jesus would kneel down and show the same love, compassion and servant’s heart to Judas, as He had to the others, as He washed his feet.
This literally brings tears to my eyes when I think of the love that Jesus showed to the one who was about to betray Him.
I also wonder what was going through Judas’ mind at that very moment. When Jesus looked him in the eyes and washed his feet with the same love and compassion as He had shown the others, I have to think that his heart was pierced and anguished.
How Do We Stack Up?
We are to have the heart of a servant in our Christian life.
Every day, we are to help others in whatever we do, showing the teachings of Jesus in our words and actions.
We are to be that “Good Samaritan” who places the needs of others before our own. We are to live so that others will see the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives.
So, we must ask ourselves the question. Do we have the "heart of a servant" as Jesus taught us to have?
In our daily job, do we solely perform our duties for the salary we get?
Or, in all aspects of our lives do we truly want to help others and get great satisfaction in being able to do so? I hope that this is the answer we can give. If not, we need to reexamine our lives and humbly bow before God asking for His help.
Yes, being "selfless" can be hard. And yes, we need God's help in frequent communion and prayer to be what He wants us to be. Sometimes we might find it hard to simply say hello or acknowledge someone who has wronged us, let alone imagine ourselves washing that person’s feet.
But this is the lesson Jesus taught us. We are to take “self” out of the equation.
Again, let us reiterate, that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and at one point during the process would have bowed down before Judas and washed his feet. Meditate on this often. He would not have only washed the feet of Judas but in doing so would have bowed down as a humble servant. All the while knowing that He was washing the feet of the one that would betray Him and turn Him over to the Roman soldiers for crucifixion.
Talk about the “Golden Rule”, “The Good Samaritan” and “Love your enemy” lessons in action. It is a powerful illustration of love, humility and the true heart of a servant.
This is how we are to live our lives.
We are to be selfless, never thinking more of ourselves than others and we are to live a life of love and humility while doing our best to always help others. In doing so, we serve God while attending to their needs.
Simply put, we are to live, having the “heart of a servant.”
Philippians 2:5-8 KJV
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
RVH