Daily Power #37

“The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matt. 23:11)

Imagine if you came to visit my home and I said, “Can I take your coat? Get you something to drink? Give you a pedicure?” After asking me to repeat myself to make sure you’d heard correctly, you would probably wonder about that last one. In our culture, it’s good manners to welcome people into your home by offering to hang up their jacket and handing them a beverage. In Jesus’ day, though, it was customary to ask guests if they would like their feet washed.

And if you think our feet are dirty today, just imagine what they must have been like back then. People wore sandals or went barefoot and walked almost everywhere—through dirt, mud, dust, and even much more disgusting things. So washing a visitor’s feet was an act of humility, service, and honor—and a task most often left for slaves and servants to do.

However, Jesus did this self-sacrificing act for his disciples. After the final meal with his closest friends right before his betrayal, Jesus washed their feet. He knew about the power struggles taking place in each of their hearts and wanted to show them, in a very tangible and concrete way, how to be truly great: by serving others. Do the humbling, thankless, dirty job that no one likes to do. Love others by sacrificing yourself to meet their needs.

Today if you want to show others the love of God, find a way to “wash their feet.” Notice someone’s need and simply meet it. The same way Jesus would.

Power Lift

Lord, you demonstrated such loving service by washing your disciples’ feet. Empower me to serve the needs of others with the same compassion and humility.