With Jesus we have a powerful example of a serving heart. Jesus spent time with his disciples. See John chapters 12 to 17. He prepares them for life without him and provides grounding for his church. A serving heart is:-

1 – Motivated by love

He showed then the full extent of his love. It goes beyond words. It was about doing rather than speaking. It is more than duty when serving. It is to be motivated by a sacrificial love. This is God’s heart. It is God’s love being demonstrated. It loves when it is hard to love. This is why it is a work of the Holy Spirit.

2 – Inspired by the cross

Jesus knew his time here was short. The climax of Jesus’ ministry was the cross. Its awful glory shows the inspiration of service. It is costly. It is painful to serve others. It involves washing people’s feet. It is not about me.

3 – Manifested in actions

Jesus chose an action rather than a sermon to demonstrate his serving heart. The slave who washed the feet was the lowest of the low. Do you say, “It is not my job?” Jesus does it! In fact Jesus does it for them all. He gets their dirt on his hands. This is what it means to follow Jesus.

4 – Hindered by self

Does Peter only open his mouth to change feet? This action is what Jesus is about. If Peter can’t get it then he can’t follow Jesus. Peter goes from nothing to everything. They don’t need a bath but they do need to keep clean. Judas was hindered by self. It leads to resentment.

5 – Defines discipleship

It is necessary to wash the feet of others. You are not blessed by knowing this. The blessing is in the doing. Do you bring the basin and the towel to your home and workplace? There is great blessing to be had by walking the path of Jesus.

Categories: John