Tag: John 13

Served Twice: MT e42

“For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you.” John 13:15

Last time the thought surrounded this passage of Jesus washing feet and how serving can be inconvenient. When considering everything that Jesus was about to face I would have failed here.  I would have demanded service. “Come on guys!”

This was a defining moment of the inconvenience of serving.

The reason I would fail is because If I was in Jesus place, my focus would be on me and what I am about to do and what I am about to endure. 

There is no doubt what Jesus was about to face was on his mind but he did not allow that to get in the way.

Rather, he looked at the larger picture and saw a teachable moment.  He served twice here.  Once by washing feet: this was filling an immediate need.  The second time by teaching.  “I have given you an example, now go and do what I have done for you.”

The reality here is that you and I can be so wrapped up in ourselves, in our lives, that we miss these wonderful opportunities to add to the serving we are already doing. 

To be clear, this is not a pastor sharing that we need to dig deeper and try harder.  This is a pastor who wants to lead by praying, “Lord, by Your Spirit, open my eyes and soften my heart so I can serve better.” 

More on this next time. 

Until then S.D.G.

The Inconvenience of Serving: MT e41

Unusual talent that I have is the ability to look at a chip dip container and take a bag of chips and without pencil and paper, without AI or math, gauge how to eat the proper amount of dip on each chip so that when the bag is empty the container is empty.

This is important because if you have ever purchased a thing of chip dip and there is dip left over after the bad is empty, most often it sits in the fridge until it becomes a science experiment. 

Back in college there was a fellow dorm resident that was just a little off socially.  He came to talk to me one night and I was in the process of eating a bag of chips and dip.  A spirit of serving over came me so I offered some to him.  He said, “sure thing,” and then proceeded to dip his chip and use a massive amount of my dip. 

In my head I was like WHOA!  He was throwing off everything, now I am going to have left over chips because the dip is going to run out.  He continued to sit there and eat the dip for the next 20 minutes and then back to his room.

Recently, I was considering this true and insignificant moment in life in relation to serving.  Serving is not always easy.  Most often, serving is inconvenient. 

We could spend hours discussing the examples of Jesus in serving.  They were inconvenient but let us consider one passage:

“As I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:14-15

Jesus is literal hours away from the cross yet he is serving.  Of all the people that have ever lived in the all of the world, Jesus was the last person anyone would expect to wash feet here.  This is one golden example of the inconvenience of serving.

I would like to hang out in this passage for a while but until our next time together, be looking out for opportunities to serve.

Until then S.D.G.