Bible Passage: “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.'” (Mark 10:42-44)
Scripture Reading: John 13:1-17
I once worked in a church as a worship pastor. One Sunday morning, the worship team was preparing before the service, and the lead pastor came up to me and said, “We don’t have enough people willing to serve in the Children’s Ministry, so I’m going to serve there today.”
Naturally, I was a little concerned about how the service was going to play out if the preaching pastor was downstairs in the nursery. When I asked him about this little hiccup, he simply replied, “Figure it out.”
So, as the service started, I said something like, “Welcome to church today. We’re going to start with some singing in worship, and then I’m not sure what we’re going to do after that because our lead pastor is serving in the Children’s Ministry this morning.”
As uncomfortable as that was, I absolutely loved it!
We had been asking for people to serve in that area, and not many were stepping up.
The pastor’s philosophy was that you can tell how healthy a church is by the way people serve in the lowliest or hidden areas.
Jesus was willing to serve in the unappealing areas. In fact, in John 13:3, it says that, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…”
And what did He do with all that power and greatness?
He washed His disciples’ feet.
He did the lowly task.
I can imagine those disciples trying to figure out who would wash their feet, since there was no servant in the room to do it. They racked their brains but just couldn’t come to a solution. Of course, the option of one of them doing such a lowly task was unthinkable.
Jesus knew the line would be short for those willing to wash feet. He didn’t mind. That was the line He was in.
Do you want guaranteed employment for the rest of your life?
Get in the line that serves in the lowliest jobs; there will always be a need for a guy like you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me be like You. Since You were willing to serve in the lowliest positions, help me to be willing to do the same. Help me not to do this to get any praise for myself, but because it honours You and the way You did things. You are so inspiring and such a fantastic leader. I want to be just like You. Amen
Reflection: What might be categorized as a “lowly” ministry in your context? What might be a ministry that most people would rather someone else do? Would you be willing to do it?
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