SUBMERGEഉദാഹരണം

Living Last

Do you love a good road trip? The disciples and Jesus were big road-trippers! On one of these adventures, an argument developed, and when they reached a stopping place, He inquired about the source of their disagreement. No one, not even the always-talking Simon Peter, said a word. The issue for this group of guys: Greatness…which one was the greatest?

Instead of scolding, Jesus offered a message, counter-cultural then and now:

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all.’” Mark 9:35

These words of Jesus lead me to another question:

What would you do if you had one week to live?

Read the question again. Reflect on what you might choose to do. We know exactly how Jesus answered that question. As time was counting down, Jesus did not go out and preach to great crowds, heal the sick, or raise the dead. Instead, He chose to hang out with friends…and wash their dirty feet.

“When He had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’” John 13:12

These friends of Jesus had walked through the dirty roads of Palestine to get to the upper room. We assume that they wore the open sandals of the day, so their feet must have been smelly and dirty. The usual custom of the home was to provide a servant to wash the feet of the guests, but apparently, someone dropped the ball.

Think about it, who was the least likely person in the room to wash feet? If you answered Jesus, I think you would be correct. But Jesus demonstrates one more time, servant leadership. He does what no one else wanted to do. His hands which would soon be pierced, got dirty when He went to work washing feet.

While the cleanliness of the disciple's feet was important, I believe it was the condition of their heart (and ours) that Jesus was most interested in. Let’s follow the example of our leader, humble ourselves, and look for someone to serve. When we serve, we understand exactly what Jesus did for His disciples with a towel and a basin. We choose to live last.

Reflection:

What are our opportunities to "Live Last" in our families, communities, or churches?

Dr. Keith Newman
SNU President