“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.[1] 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.”[2]
In the famous lyrics "Riders on the Storm", Jim Morrison sings, “Riders on the storm/Riders on the storm/Into this house we're born/Into this world we're thrown/Like a dog without a bone/An actor out on loan/Riders on the storm.”[3] We are not simply riders on the storm, thrown into the world without a purpose. For God made everything in Creation with a purpose. As I listen to the rain fall against my window pane, I muse on the truth that its falling is necessary, although it seems it dampers my day sometimes. Without the rain the land would be dry, plants and vegetation would not grow and would die, and there would be a drought. So it is with people. God created us for a purpose.
One of those purposes rest in our relationships with other people. As disciples of Jesus we are called to serve one another. When we choose not to serve others in love and humility, our relationships become barren wastelands: dry, arid, without growth, dead. When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet in John chapter 13, he set for us an example. Traditionally, the washing of feet was a job performed by the youngest or the lowest in a household. However Jesus, being the Master, demonstrated for us that serving others in like-manner positions us for greatness. So how is your serving this week? Remember that when we with godly attitudes serve others in love with humility, we are serving the Lord.
[1] Matthew 20: 26-28
[2] John 13: 14-15
[3] The Doors, 1971 album “L.A. Woman”
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