After a twelve hour plane trip with two flight delays I arrived in Las Vegas to help wash feet at Divine Mercy Church tonight. What’s that all about?
Simply put, we remember when Jesus is with his disciples, it is just before Passover, and what does he do? He washes their feet. This is not what we would expect a leader, a person of power, a respected person to act. To provide for foot washing was a common act of hospitality. Travelers walked hot and dusty roads, and the host often offered water to guests so that they could wash their feet. But the foot washing was generally done by the guests themselves – you washed your own feet. It was self-service. Or there might be a servant who would wash the feet of guests. But here, Jesus combined the roles of host and servant. He wrapped himself with a towel – taking on the uniform of a servant.
Peter is outraged, hosts do not wash the feet of guests. Rabbis do not wash the feet of disciples. And if we are honest, we may not be comfortable having our pastor wash our feet. Because come to think of it, we aspire to be a successful, we aspire to at least a certain level of social standing, and that does not mean taking the role of a servant. However for Jesus, leadership means servanthood.
The call to follow Jesus is not a call to
glitz and glamor. It is not a call to fame and fortune. It is not a
call to popularity. It is not a call to success, as the world defines
success. It is a call to service. It is a call to love all of God’s
children. It is a call to probably get into some trouble, to probably
offend some people somewhere along the line, because we are following One who
got into trouble.
At the heart of Christian discipleship is service. Serving is doing what
needs to be done for the sake of others. I will be humbled tonight to be in a
church that a few weeks ago was abandoned by their leader and threatened with
eviction.
However, tonight I see folks like Deacon Erick, Monica, Sarah, Phil, Mary and many others who give of their time and effort, often in ways that go mostly unseen, to do what needed to be done to keep the doors of your church open.
The call to follow Jesus is a call to serve and all of you have my highest praise and prayers for your outstanding work to keep Divine Mercy a visible sign of Christ’s love for His people. Come now and let Christ wash away your fears and doubts for He loves you just the way you are.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends and new friends at Divine Mercy that you bathe them in your grace and fill their souls with much peace and joy.
