Today’s Verse—Matthew 20:28
Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be
served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to
give his life as the price for setting many people free.
War is always hard. But imagine fighting in fourteen-degree temperatures and two feet of snow after your 128-man unit has been reduced to just nineteen healthy soldiers. That’s the challenge American platoon leader Audie Murphy faced during World War II.
Did he say, “I’m in charge. You guys fight while I warm my toes”? No, sir! Murphy sent everyone to the rear of the line while he spent the next hour using a machine gun to hold back the German infantry. Eventually his men rallied and drove off the enemy. When asked why he did it, Murphy simply said, “They were killing my friends.”
Audie Murphy was a leader willing to lay down his life for his friends. In John 15:13, Jesus described that as the ultimate act of service . . . and love. And He should know, because Jesus loved us by dying on the cross to save us from our sin. You see, leaders worth following don’t think they’re better than everyone else. Instead, they look for opportunities to serve, even if that means sacrificing their own comfort or safety (Matthew 20:20–28).
Jesus modeled this for His disciples by washing their dirty, stinky feet in John 13:1–15. They needed to see humble “servant leadership” in action. So our Lord grabbed a towel and a bowl of water, saying afterward, “I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you” (verse 15).
Can you imagine the president of the United States washing your feet? How about a Super Bowl MVP or a Hollywood superstar? Crazy, right? Yet the God of the universe has done that and much more by laying down His life to serve you.
Whit and Wisdom
These devotions remind me why I’m so honored to serve people here at Whit’s End. Not because I’m scooping ice cream, although that’s fun. But really, it’s because I have the chance to share what I’ve learned about God. I get to encourage someone, help people sort through their problems, or just be there to listen. That’s what people need most. I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure it even makes the ice cream taste better.
Family Challenge #12—Foot Washing
Invite your family to join you for “a special event.” Don’t tell them you’ll be washing their feet. Yuck! Don’t worry; it’s not as gross as it sounds. Put a little water in a large bowl. Soak a washcloth and place the bowl under their feet to catch the runoff. Then dry their feet with a towel. As you wash each family member’s feet, tell that person something you appreciate about him or her. Be sincere. You are honoring them. Even if your brothers or sisters have trouble taking you seriously, make this an act of worship in the spirit of this week’s memory verse. And no tickling!
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Serving Others Theme Memory Verse—Matthew 25:40
[Jesus said,] “Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”