We live in a society where many want to be in leadership, but very few want to live the life of a leader. The life of a leader is hard. While many people see leadership as getting to tell others what to do, Jesus showed up that true leadership is leading the way. It is about setting the example, instead of the old adage, “do as I say, not as I do” that we see from a lot in leadership. I remember a song from many years ago now, by the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean. The song was about a father wanting to be like Jesus, because his son wanted to be like it. The last line in the chorus was, “I want to be just like You, because he wants to be just like me.” Jesus showed us that leadership is first service. We see this being demonstrated in John 13. It is the night Jesus will be betrayed. He is with His disciples, He has instituted what we call today, the Lord’s Supper, also known as the Passover meal. Jesus at the conclusion of supper does what many in the room thought to be unthinkable. He got up from the table and washed their feet. And after doing that, He sits back down and asks them, do you know what I have done to you? Not waiting for a reply Jesus then says, “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:13-14).
At the end of John 13, Jesus tells the disciples the world will know that they belong to Him by their love for one another. Combining that with what Jesus did here towards the beginning of the chapter, we see that one of the ways that we love one another is by serving one another. In order to serve one another, we must have a humble attitude. Here is the God of creation, the Son of God, the Messiah, stooping down to wash the disciples feet. He would have had every right to demand that they wash His feet. Yet, we see Jesus demonstrating the necessary humility to serve the disciples in order to set the example for them. Jesus shows us that leadership is more than a position, it is an attitude. Do you see yourself as a servant to the Lord? Do you see yourself as a servant to others? Have you demonstrated that by actually going out and serving other people? In a day and age where there is a lot of talk, true disciples of Christ first let their life do the talking for them. What message is your life saying?
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin