You’ve Been Served

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

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SICK and someone served you by making you soup or bringing you medicine to make you feel better? Or has someone helped you by washing your clothes or cleaning the bathroom? Maybe someone fixes lunch or dinner for you. Who are the people in your life who serve you?

When Jesus knew he would soon be arrested and crucified, he shared a meal with his friends and talked to them about what would happen. He told them he loved them, and then, he did something else. Most people who were in his situation wouldn’t think of serving others . . . but Jesus did. In fact, he did an act of service that was really profound: he washed the filthy feet of his disciples. In Jesus’ time, people’s feet were often bare or clad in ratty sandals. They were incredibly dirty. To put this in perspective, imagine cleaning a porta-potty as a favor for your friend. Jesus knelt and lovingly washed the gross feet of his friends in one of the greatest acts of service ever. He is our king, but he stooped and cleaned his friends’ feet—and he did it out of profound love.

God wants us to remember this and think about it. And the next time you have a chance to do an act of service for someone, do it happily and with love.

DO

At the bottom of this page, plan seven days of service. You’ll choose one act of service for each day of the week. Choose a chore another person typically does regularly and do it for that person. Maybe it’s making your sister’s bed or doing the dishes for your dad. Don’t tell the person you’ve done the chore; just do it with love.

PRAY

Dear God,

Thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love. Thank you for being a perfect example of humble, loving service. Remind me to serve others in love. Amen.

READ

Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:9-11