Identity and a Servant Spirit

TODAY'S READING: John 12, 13, 14

SCRIPTURE: John 13:3-5 (emphasis added)
³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

OBSERVATION: The word "so" in these verses links two key thoughts: 1) Jesus knew who he was and the authority he had so 2) he got up and served his disciples. It was his firm sense of identity that allowed Jesus to put himself in the position of a servant to those who were his students and followers. He was the Master, yet he served those who were under him. I believe it is very difficult to put oneself in a position of serving others without a firm sense of identity and self-worth. It is important to note how Jesus served his disciples in this passage. He served them in the role of a house slave; the lowest form of servant. We have all seen people who serve others from a sense of the superior condescending to give of themselves to "the little people". They maintain an air of superiority while they are among those they are helping. This was not what Jesus did. He stripped down to his undergarments and took on the rather gross job of washing all the dirt and grime off of his disciples feet. This was a job for a lowly house slave. This was one of the reasons that Peter objected to being washed by Jesus. Peter thought this was an improper role for Jesus to take on. But Jesus said he was doing this as an example to us of how we should be with each other. We should be willing to do the lowest of jobs to serve one another, and we should do it without airs of superiority. We can do this only if we are very secure in our identity as sons and daughters of God.

APPLICATION: My mother-in-law has a saying written in the fly-leaf of her Bible that says, "You never know what kind of servant you are until someone treats you like one". How true! In fact, without a very strong sense of identity, we bristle at anyone who would treat us as "less than" and act superior to us. Being treated like a servant is a test of how strong our sense of identity as a child of God really is. A servant spirit is really only born out of knowing who we are in the Lord. If I get angry when someone treats me like a servant it is a sign that I need to work on my understanding of my identity with Jesus. This is not to say that it is ok for others to treat us as if we are less worthy than they are. In fact, if the other person is a believer, we should lovingly confront that attitude in them; but not from a place of being offended by it. We confront only to help them become more like Christ. If we get offended, we know we need to work on our identity so that we can grow in being the kind of servant to others that Jesus was.

PRAYER: Father, help me to grow in my understanding of all that it means to be your child. I need to continually be understanding more about the authority I have and the standing I have in the kingdom because I belong to you. You said that a servant is not above his master and that the things you did are the same things I should do. Rid me of the vestiges of the sense of unworthiness I have from my childhood and from the hurt caused by others even as an adult. I want to be fully identified with you so that I can love others and serve others as you did. In Jesus' Name, Amen.