JOHN 13:1-15 – “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you”.

THEME OF THE DAY: ACCEPTABLE SERVICE TO THE LORD.  Today’s scripture is the familiar account of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet.  The lessons from this sacred display of our Lord’s service abound.  Let me encourage us to spend prayerful time going through every detail of what unfolds at the Last Supper.  For our devotional purposes today, we want to identify three aspects as modeled by Jesus that ensure we offer to Him acceptable service.  The first is the proper attitude, and the other two are proper actions.

First, the proper attitude of acceptable service to the Lord is the focus away from us and onto those we serve.  And that isn’t easy to do, especially when we are facing difficult personal trials. The setting is gripping.  Jesus is headed to the cross.  The pending agony of soul and body is upon Him.  If anyone had the right to focus on Himself, it was Jesus.  Yet, His attention was away from Himself and toward the lessons His disciples needed to learn and see from Him about service.  Friends, acceptable service requires an ongoing death to self for the benefit of others, and only the Lord Himself can slay the selfishness within us that prevents such death.

From the attitude to the first action of acceptable service; it must be sacrificial.  Washing feet was the lowest form of domestic service.  It was dirty work. No glamor. No recognition. Just dirty work.  And this wasn’t just anyone washing feet!  It was the Savior, God in the flesh, and yet He willingly stooped down to do the dirty work, and so must we.  If our service is not sacrificial, it isn’t acceptable.

Finally acceptable service for the Lord is impartial.  Jesus washed the feet of who?  His disciples. Yes, even Judas.  Powerful lesson for us.  We cannot serve partially.  We serve even those who hurt and even betray us,

Acceptable service. Let’s check our attitude, then our actions to ensure they are following the example of our Master.

PRAYER: Father, enable me to always evaluate my service for the Lord by the Lord’s example.

REFLECTION: The ultimate standard to measure our service for the Lord is Him, in attitude and action.