FREELY SERVING
John 13:13-14
"You call Me Teacher and Lord...If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
It was a perfect evening for fishing, warm, calm and clear. My dad was so anxious to get out and fish the place he had grown up fishing. This would be the last time to ever do it. Dad was dying of cancer and the hydro-dam that formed this beautiful backwater was scheduled to be torn out very soon and the lake would disappear forever.
Three of us launched the small bass boat and we started off. We had gone about 200 yards and the everything went dead... the motor wouldn't run and all power failed... leaving us dead in the water. Dad said to turn back and go home... but I knew he wanted to fish this place one more time. The other two of us said, "No, were going fishing". My friend spent the entire evening on his knees on the bow of the boat with a canoe paddle paddling that bass boat around the lake so dad could fish. It ended up being a great evening, because someone was willing to serve at all costs.
When it was time to serve in the time of Jesus... He was always the first to jump in and lead by example. When it came to serving others, Jesus went first. At the last supper, Jesus got up and removed His clothing and wrapped Himself in a towel, then he poured water into a container, knelt down at His disciples feet and began to wash and dry them with the towel around his waist.
When He came to Peter, Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my feet?'" put yourself in Peter's place, You best friend, the very Son of God is about to take the place of the lowliest servant and was about to wash the feet of those that were dirty and unworthy.
What was Jesus trying to show them? What is He trying to show us? When Jesus laid aside His clothing and knelt to serve it was an example to us all that, if we want to serve, we must lay aside everything that we hold as below us... our prideful view of ourselves, our comfort level, laying aside our own desires and many other things that often hold us back from lowering ourselves.
Peter didn't understand any of this. He was embarrassed to think Jesus would let Himself be seen in such a demeaning light. So, Jesus said: "You call Me Teacher and Lord...If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you...If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" ( john 13:13-15, 17).
Jesus was and is our example of how we should serve. If we want to be more like Him we remove our concern of what we think of our selves or what others think of us. We must be first to jump in and serve.
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