Reflect: During the first-century, men wore opened-toed shoes as they walked down dirt roads. It was common for a slave to wash the feet of guests when they entered a home because most of the time they had dirty, sweaty feet. It was unusually profound in that day and age for the Rabbi or teacher, as Jesus was to His disciples, to wash the guests’ feet. Why would Jesus take on the chore of a slave and wash His disciples feet? Jesus is role modeling, for all of us who are followers of Christ, to be humble, servant leaders in all circumstances. He even tells us in verse 15 that He has set an example for us. You see this again in Mark 10:45, “Even as the Son of God, he didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.” Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke on servant leadership in this way, “Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato or Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.” Do you want to be more like Jesus and take steps on the road to be a servant leader? If so, spend time asking Jesus, “Who do you want me to serve today? How should I serve? What should be the attitude of my heart when I serve?” Maybe you serve dutifully, because you have to, and God is calling you to serve from a heart of love and compassion.
