Imitating Christ in Service

Generally when we think of the example of Christ in his work to serve others, the act of washing the feet that he practiced on his disciples in the Upper Room before the Last Supper comes to mind, an act of humiliation and a lesson. of supreme humility of the Lord that in some religious places is celebrated almost literally to exemplify the spirit of service that leaders must have towards the people they minister (John 13. 1-20).

The spirit of service is not an option. The scene narrated by the apostle John in the aforementioned passage testifies to a Lord who humbled himself at the most in an unexpected act (by the disciples) of his love. God humbled to do a servant's task, God washing the dirt brought from the world, abandoning his seat at the paschal table - symbol of the throne and of his authority as Master and Lord -, taking off his mantle (v. 4) - as leaving his greatness aside - and wrapping the towel around his waist to wash his feet, including his, who an hours later, was going to betray him. It was the last night that the Lord would be with his disciples before his martyrdom on the cross.

I mean verses 4 and 5; “… He got up from supper and took off his cloak, and taking a towel, he wrapped it around him. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel that was wrapped around him. "

Jesus changed the cloak that covered his body for a simple towel wrapped around his waist. Christ abandoning his majesty and greatness for a moment to assume a servant nature. The mantle, symbol of the authority and lordship of our God in his condition of man. The towel, sign of the instrument of love to clean and dry impurities, vices, perversions, debauchery and debauchery, because Jesus, who does not stop working mercies in our lives, tries to wash the feet of his disciples today after day.

All of us wear a cloak, that something that we have trouble shed to serve others with true joy and Christian devotion. We serve, but for convenience; we help others, but expecting something in return. Pride? False modesty? Hypocrisy? There was a time in my life when I covered myself with such a cloak, but God was kind enough to remove it to show me my own nakedness. Serving those who seemingly little or nothing contribute to our lives can become religious, but not Christian, profit.

Jesus was the example and he set the example by putting himself in the place of the servant. He humbled himself at the feet of the traitorous Judas who would facilitate the management of His death. The greatness of our Lord was manifested in this exemplary act of love and reminded the disciples of his own teachings: “You have heard that it was said: 'You will love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ”(Mt 5.43-44). Loving those who declare themselves our enemies will always be a great test in our lives, but God's word is infallible, so we have no excuse not to at least try. To imitate Christ in service is an act of total surrender that buries all bitterness of the heart so that the love of God may emerge and prevail over all personal benefit. It will be necessary to remove the mantle, which can mean, from the most precious, to the darkest feelings, in order to offer the service that the Lord expects from his children.

The Lord gives us every day the opportunity to discover multiple areas in our Christian life in which we can serve others. We only need wisdom from on high and imitate the example of our Savior (wisdom is the ability to see life from God's perspective by the work and grace of the Holy Spirit). Until we get to know this way of serving, possibly our spiritual growth will be at a standstill. I pray that the Lord will wrap his towel around you.

God bless you!