Radical Love: A Servant’s Heart
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
Jesus taught His disciples many things during their time together. In the last week of His life, He taught them the lesson of radical service in the Kingdom: washing one another’s feet. This is far from the darkness of the forced subjugation of African people and many others in our day. Jesus is Light. He is Love. Read His heart as the scene opens: “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (the last and to the highest degree)” (John 13:1). From this sacred place of love, Jesus served. It was as natural as breathing, as it must be for us.
The act of washing feet is also an act of humility. It brings us all down to the same lowly place. The disciples, like us, vied for the highest place. But Jesus showed them another way. “Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 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. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22, emphasis mine)
Though His mind and heart were heavy with the anticipation of His own death, He took the towel and the water and knelt before His disciples. The Cross was Jesus ultimate act of love: “…He gave up His divine privileges,He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8)
When you accept Him as Savior and Lord, He comes to dwell in you by the Holy Spirit. You’ll have the power to walk as He walked, in radical love and service. On this Resurrection Sunday, open your heart and surrender your life to the One Who gave His for you.
