October 15 — Following the Servant Jesus

“When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, ‘Do you know what I have done for you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’”

— John 13:12-17

 
 
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus knew that His time with the disciples was growing short. There were many things He could have chosen to emphasize in those final hours. Yet one of the lessons He wanted His followers to remember was so important that He did not merely teach it with words. He wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, knelt before His disciples, and washed their feet. In the world of Jesus, foot washing was a humble task. People traveled dusty roads wearing sandals, and washing a guest’s feet was ordinarily the work of a servant. Yet on this night, the disciples watched their Teacher and Lord assume that position Himself. The One they followed knelt before them. The One who possessed all authority performed a task associated with the lowest place in the household. Jesus never denied His identity or authority. After washing their feet, He said, “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.” His humility did not come from thinking less of Himself or pretending that His position did not matter. Jesus knew exactly who He was. Precisely because His identity was secure in the Father, He was free to stoop down and serve. That teaches us something important about Christian humility. Humility is not believing that we have no value. It is knowing that our value is secure in God and therefore not needing to prove our importance by placing ourselves above others. When we know that we are loved by God, we are free to serve without worrying about status or recognition.
 
Pause and reflect: Are there forms of service I consider beneath me, too inconvenient, or simply someone else’s responsibility? Sometimes the clearest opportunities to follow Jesus are found in tasks that bring little recognition. Who cleans up afterward? Who stays a little longer? Who helps the person everyone else overlooks? Who takes responsibility for the task no one particularly wants to do? Jesus said, “I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.” Christians have understood these words in different ways. Some traditions practice literal foot washing as an act of worship and humility. Others understand Jesus’ action primarily as a pattern for humble service in every area of life. Either way, the central message is unmistakable: followers of Jesus are called to become servants. There is another detail in this story that makes Jesus’ example even more challenging. Judas was still present during the meal. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, yet the Gospel does not tell us that Jesus excluded him from this act of service. The love Jesus demonstrated was not limited to people who would respond appropriately or appreciate what He had done. That kind of service is difficult. It is easier to serve people who are grateful, pleasant, and responsive. It is much harder to serve when our kindness is unnoticed, misunderstood, or unreturned. Yet Jesus shows us that Christian service is ultimately rooted not in the worthiness of the recipient but in the character of the One we follow. Jesus concludes His lesson with a distinction that is easy to overlook: “If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Knowing about service is not the same as serving. We can admire Jesus’ humility, study His example, discuss servant leadership, and agree completely with His teaching while never actually picking up the towel. The blessing comes in doing.
 
Perhaps today there is a “foot-washing” opportunity somewhere in your life—not necessarily involving water and a basin, but involving a task that requires humility. Someone may need practical help. A responsibility may need to be handled without recognition. A person who is usually overlooked may need your attention. Someone may need you to set aside your own convenience for a little while.
When that opportunity appears, remember Jesus with the towel. You might quietly pray, “Lord Jesus, help me to serve as You served.” Then take the lower place willingly. Not because you are less important. Not because your time has no value. But because you follow a Lord who showed that true greatness is expressed through love. The hands that washed the disciples’ feet would soon be stretched upon a cross. The towel and the cross tell the same story: Jesus gives Himself for others. And He invites us to follow.
 
 
Heavenly Father,
 
Thank You for Jesus, who showed me what true humility and service look like. I am amazed that my Lord and Savior willingly took the place of a servant and ultimately gave His life for me.
 

Help me to follow His example. Free me from the desire for recognition, status, or praise, and give me the humility to perform even simple and unnoticed acts of service with love. Open my eyes to the people and needs I might otherwise overlook, and make me willing to set aside my own convenience when love requires it.
 
When I am tempted merely to admire the example of Jesus, remind me that He calls me to follow it. Give me willing hands, a compassionate heart, and the courage to take up the towel wherever You place an opportunity before me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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