Day 26 - A living parable

Reading: John 13:1-17

On a recent trip to Zimbabwe a very poor family invited us into their home.  They told us what an honour it was to have us there and offered us some of their precious ‘sadza’ (white maize meal) to eat which they could barely afford to share.  Before eating (with our fingers!) they came with bowls of water to wash our hands.  With no running water in the house this precious water was also a gift they couldn’t really afford.

The sadza was bland, sticky and hard to swallow. I don’t like it…what if I get ill… smile Ellen, smile….

But the way in which it was given showed hearts that wanted to serve us as guests. People who had so little wanting to give. I left feeling very humbled indeed. And very challenged.

This passage in John 13 is about servanthood.  Jesus is back in Jerusalem for a final Passover and as part of the meal he washes his disciples’ feet. Jesus is doing here what a servant would do. Foot washing was common practice; on arriving at a home the servants would wash the dirty and dusty feet of the guests as they arrived.

What makes Jesus’ action so extraordinary is that he is their Lord and teacher. No one of such stature would stoop so low as to serve in this way. But Jesus wanted to demonstrate what true greatness is. And he is also demonstrating what his life and death were all about. At this Passover meal Jesus is pointing to himself as the true Passover lamb.  Jesus was to sacrifice his life as the ultimate act of service.

Jesus speaks in verse 15 about giving his followers a pattern to copy. Just as he served others, so are we to serve. To point with our lives and actions to Jesus.

What does it look like us to be servant hearted today? It almost certainly won’t be footwashing, or serving sadza. How can we show genuine love and service to people around us so that they sense and see what our God is like?

Response

Reflect on Jesus’ great example of servanthood and ask him for opportunities to serve him by serving others today. 

Ellen