Many preachers side step a major aspect of our Lord Jesus Christ’s life. They tend to ignore that Christ came to serve and even bumbled himself to tend to the mist basic needs of his sheep, their feet, “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:1-17). Today if a parishioner or member of a church has a need, the most they can hope fir is a prayer or a visit from the pastor. Oh but they are expected to keep tithing. I read about a church that forbade their elderly members to attend services for a year, so that a vibrant young families could be their replacements, but these extricated elderly were still expected to pay tithes.
Our God Jesus came to serve “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.l,” (Mark 10:45), and He took care of major needs like salvation, as well as the most minor needs like washing feet. Christ said the greatest leaders serve, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” (Matthew 10:26-28) and “He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” (Mark 9:35). To serve comes from the word διακονέω (diakoneó, dee-ak-on-eh'-o) which means to be a waiter and slave who tends to people at table with the utmost care. The concept of Diakoneo is lost and mistranslated teacher and minister. Deacon is closer. Jesus acted as a deacon to his disciples, showing us the example of the kind of love and care we should show each other!
True service is almost gone. Pastors instead act like the Pharisees, laying burdens on people, but never lifting them. The religious elite of Jesus’ day liked seats of honor and praise, “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:5-12) and gentile kings, “Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant / But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves,” (Luke 22:25-26), but Our Lord urged us instead to serve one another and care for each other!
Remember the words of our Lord, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15-16). He set an example for us, and it was not just for deacons! We are called as Christians to imitate Christ and care for even the most basic needs of brothers and sisters! As the Apostle James says, “Suppose a brother or sister [in Christ] is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.” (James 2:15-17). It is mandate as believers to serve one another in love. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment