Peter said to [Jesus], "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me," (John 13:8)
No share with Jesus until He becomes our servant? This is a different paradigm of power to be sure.
What can this mean for you and I as we seek to live our lives embodying the words and actions of Jesus? It means that we must be servants of those who we desire to have relationship with.
I experience this in my life as a husband and father, as a friend, and certainly as a pastor. Serving others, listening to them, sacrificing for them has brought me closer to others.
Yet there is something else here. A willingness to allow another to serve us. Peter doesn't want Jesus, who he holds in such high esteem, to submit himself to serve. Still, Peter is missing the point. Unless we are willing to allow others to "do good" for us then we miss the grace and beauty of life-giving relationship. When we don't allow others to help us or serve us, in effect, we remain in "control." However, when we allow our feet to be washed, when we allow our hurts to be soothed, then we are actually showing the strength of humility.
Jesus models service. Peter finally accepts it. And the Peter is given the mandate to go and serve too.
This is the paradigm of faith.
Serving Lord, help me let others to be a servant to me and may this guide me toward even more service of others. Amen.
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