This is part 6 of a 10-part series. View the entire series here.
“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” – John 13:14-15 NLT
An Example of Humility
Jesus is hours away from His betrayal. Only He and His betrayer know. Yet the Lord rises from the table after supper, dons a servant’s towel and bowl, and does the unthinkable––He begins to wash the disciples’ feet.
One by one, He kneels before His followers and scrubs the grime away, including Judas––the man who had sold Him for a satchel of silver. Glory emanates from the King of kings. Not from atop a magnificent throne, but in a posture of humility, hunched over in the dirt.
Kindness Moves Hearts
Kindness is more than a good deed for the sake of a good deed. It goes much deeper than a quick favor for a neighbor or a passing compliment to someone in the grocery store.
Kindness is the planting of a seed. It is the cultivation of a space to receive the good news of God. It is the preparation of life with Jesus.
When we model Christ’s kindness to another, we’re planting seeds of the Gospel. We’re dirtying our hands to remove debris from rocky soil. We’re showing others, even on a miniscule level, the immense kindness that Christ has shown to us. The kindness that would allow a master to take the place of a servant. Not out of obligation, but out of free will to do what is pleasing to the Father.
Growing in Kindness
Look at kindness as a formidable force against the cold and gloom of the world. You wield an unmatched opportunity to reflect the kindness of God to the people around you. And it all begins by having your feet washed. To sit before the Savior and allow Him to wash you clean. To open yourself up to receive that service.
And in doing so, the hope is that you might see the beauty in the most selfless acts of kindness and be moved enough to show the same kindness to others. Not because you have to. But because you know how a life can be changed through one simple yet profound moment of kindness.
