servant leadership – Be Still…

John 13:1-17 – The Servant

You’re invited into a very tender moment between Jesus and his closest followers in this reading. We find ourselves with Jesus and his disciples on the last night they’ll spend together before his death on the cross. All four gospels mention Jesus’ last supper, but John’s gospel is the only one that reveals Jesus’ character as a servant washing his disciples’ feet.

What does this tell us about who Jesus is? Jesus wants us to see another side of his leadership style, that a of a servant. Jesus wants us to model after him, so it’s good to see him in action. As Christians, we seek every day to be more like Jesus. Getting to know Jesus helps us figure out how to act. Even though Jesus is God’s son, he is approachable and loving with the heart of a servant.

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Zechariah 3:1-10 – A Burning Stick

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Our focus now shifts to the high priest’s leadership of the new people of God in this “new age” or time after captivity. Jeshua or Joshua, depending on your translation, is the high priest in this vision, having come from the Zadokite tradition. Zechariah has a front row seat to observe Joshua’s questioning and accusations by Satan himself. What a vision!

Satan’s attempts to distract Joshua are rebuked by God. The LORD says to Satan, “This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Joshua would have been lost forever, consumed by the fire of sin, if he had not been plucked out of Satan’s grip. God had bigger purposes for Joshua, and this prophecy gives him great spiritual authority among the people.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9 – What’s Your Role?

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little hands holding a plant in dirt handing to bigger hands outstretched

If you’ve ever cared for a baby, you know that you don’t feed them steak when they don’t have any teeth. Paul uses a great example here. You probably also know that after being sick or having surgery, you are often started on a “soft” diet until the doctors know whether your body can handle other foods. My husband David is a lover of all things spicy, and when his doctor tells him to stay off hot peppers, it’s not welcome news. It’s not only important to heed wise advice, but this is a great reminder to be mindful of how we present the gospel.

Think back when you first encountered Jesus. At first there was so much excitement. You were hungry for answers. But you likely became quickly overwhelmed with all sorts of spiritual talk. It’s better to start slowly and be spoon fed the gospel bit by bit. Paul has been doing this to help the young congregation in Corinth to grow in their faith at a pace that won’t overwhelm them.

John 13:1-17 – Servant Leadership

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Imagine you’re with Jesus to share a meal, and, all of a sudden, he wants to wash your feet! I think I would have been a little bit like Peter, aghast at what the Messiah was doing. In those days, a lowly servant was the one who would cleanse the master’s feet. After all, in those days, dusty roads and sandals would leave dirty, smelly feet.

But Jesus’ response surprised me. Did it surprise you when he said, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” What does that even mean? Clearly, the lesson Jesus intended from this experience went beyond having clean feet or doing something nice for others. To not belong to Jesus would be a frightening reality.

John 13:1-20 ? One Who Serves

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Who is Jesus? That’s the theme we’ll be exploring for the next few readings. This passage is certainly full of clues. Jesus has even given us an example to follow, just as he did for his disciples. What stood out to you today?

Jesus as our servant has always been a powerful image for me. Foot washing was done by the servant in the house. You can imagine the disciples’ surprise when Jesus was making this offer. Peter can’t get over it. Jesus told him, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”