Sometime ago I was asked to preach a sermon on servanthood by a friend of mine (I feel like an old man who has stories to tell). That Sunday morning as decided to talk about the Ministry of the Towel. I had asked my friend to arrange with someone from the community to sit in, someone who the Church might not know. The aim of having this person sitting in was so I could wash his feet, this was someone I didn't know either. My friend pointed this person out to me on my arrival.
On Monday night on my way back from speaking to the Boy's Brigade in Kilkeel we stopped in on an alcoholic support group in the Kairos center called Cheers. We were just in time for the reading of the scripture by one of the members. He was reading the story of Jesus watching the feet of his disciples. This was the story I used as my reference that Sunday morning. The central message of that picture of Jesus wrapping himself with a towel and getting down to a dog's view of things still challenges my heart.
Maslow tells us that human nature is always to thrive for actualization. One of this D-needs is that of Esteem; self esteem and esteem from others. Our drive for esteem causes us to seek glory, to seek first place. No wonder one of the most recorded quarrels among the disciples was which of us will be first or the greatest. A mother wanting the best for her sons asks this favour of Jesus as well. Maslow's diagnosis seems right in explaining the disciples behavior as well as ours. One of my struggles in earlier years when I was being told how good a speaker I was by my peers and even those I respected was keeping my head on the earth. Thank God that I had enough trials and persecutions around me to keep my feet anchored firmly to the ground. There were times when I was tempted to probably wear a jersey advertising how good I was...no just kidding. But there were times when my gifting deceived me into thinking I am all that and a bag of chips.
The truth is that I am in this struggle to coming last...my struggle is not to coming in first. Jesus demonstrated this when he mantled himself with the ministry of the lowest of servants. The task of washing feet was not for just any house servant, but for the lowest of slaves. No wonder Peter (although his love was somewhat defective) could not stand the thought of his Lord washing his feet. Christ was not deficient in anyway, not emotionally nor psychological. He had great self-esteem as the preceding days would show and he is probably the only fully actualized human to have lived. I think it is the fact that He was so balanced and satisfied with who He was that gave him the ability to serve in this way.
Servanthood is not abasing...it does not erase our esteem when done with the right motive. It sometimes help to lift the esteem of those we serve. On the Sunday morning that I spoke at my friend's church the person who we had original planted in the congregation left before I was through speaking...probably had to go and sort out his rice and peas. I had to call someone else from the crowd. It turned out that this man was a taxi driver and not a member of the church. As I washed this man's feet along with my friend's, illustrating the need for more service that's motivated by selfless love and not just sentiments, this man broke down and wept.
That was probably the most loving thing someone had ever done for this man. When was the last time we really made an attempt to be the least in a crowded room? Can I challenge you as I challenge myself to strive to become the least. Not through self-abasement, because that's not humility nor is it godly. But as you go through the rest of your days, find a reason to praise someone, find a reason to serve the next person. Take out your untouched towel and get it dirty. Get a dog's view on things. With this there is also promise...because some of those who end up last will reach the podium in first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment