The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
~John 13: 1–5 [NIV]
In a devotional reading which I recently came across, Henri Nouwen talked about the fulfillment of Christ's command to serve one another in His name. Nouwen writes:
"....I was struck again by the way Jesus concluded his active life. Just before entering on the road of his passion he washed the feet of his disciples and offered them his body and blood as food and drink. These two acts belong together. They are both an expression of God's determination to show us the fullness of his love. Therefore, John introduces the story of Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet with the words: 'Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end' (John 13:1).
What is even more astonishing is that on both occasions, Jesus commands us to do the same. After washing his disciples' feet, Jesus says, 'I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you' (John 13:15). After giving himself as food and drink, he says, 'Do this in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). Jesus calls us to continue his mission of revealing the perfect love of God in this world. He calls us to total self-giving. He does not want us to keep anything for ourselves. Rather, he wants our love to be as full, as radical, and as complete as his own. He wants us to bend ourselves to the ground and touch the places in each other that most need washing. He also wants us to say to each other, 'Eat of me and drink of me.' By this complete mutual nurturing, he wants us to become one body and one spirit, united by the love of God."
If we are to take Christ's words and Nouwen's interpretation of them seriously, this represents a radical, all-encompassing focus of our lives in service to Christ first, and also to others on a continual basis. Christ challenges us with his greatest of commands. He says in Mark 12:29-31:
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
What impact does this concept have on our Living Room Family? So many of us are talking about ways to minister to others in need, we are committing more and more of our time, energies, and finances to practical ways of caring for others.
- Are there areas of our personal lives where we are holding back from service for Christ?
- Are we afraid to trust Him with every aspect of our lives?
- Are we willing to step outside our comfort zone and "get down and dirty" for the sake of Christ?
- What does this total servanthood concept look like to each of you in your personal lives?
Radical • Transforming • Servant Attitude •
Going Deeper • Risk • Growth • Care • Love •
The Fruit of the Spirit flourishing every day in our lives
Quote taken from Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, 2003, The Plough Publishing House, Farmington, PA. pp. 377-380. Henri Nouwen, "Jesus Gives All," from The Road to Daybreak, by Henri Nouwen, copyright 1988 by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.; and from Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross. Maryknoll NY. Orbis Books, 1990. Used by permission.
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