“I Am Among You As One Who Serves”

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:24-30

There is a picture that shows a bowl of water, a towel, and dirty sandals. Across the bottom of the picture are these words from Luke 22:27: “I am among you as one who serves.”

That statement of Jesus’s mission, to serve those “He came to seek and save,” was exactly what we sometimes need to be reminded of. If Jesus was willing to do the dirtiest of jobs for His followers – like scrubbing His followers’ no doubt dirty feet, we should willingly do the same.

We are reminded that our own family’s requests to serve them are not merely an obligation, but an opportunity to reflect Jesus’s servant heart and His love to them. When requests are made of us, they are chances to become more like the One who served His followers by laying down His life for them.

God’s love for us empowers us to serve others.

Our Daily Bread – January 10, 2018