In the gospel according to John, Christ shows his full extent of his love by washing his disciples’ feet. This is an act reserved for the house servant (or slave). Jesus immediately follows this up with the ultimate act of service upon the cross. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul shares a hymn that captures Jesus’ heart—one of humble service to the point of death. Christ has set an example for us. Indeed, he calls his disciples to follow his example of humble service. But Christ also proclaimed the Kingdom of God vocally to thousands during his years of ministry. What does it look like for us to walk in the tension between service and proclamation?

Instead of clinging to our “rights” or our reputation, we are to lay those aside and view others as more important than ourselves. When we become more and more infected with the heart of Jesus we will have a broken heart for our co-workers who do not know Christ. We will begin caring about our neighbor who drives us crazy with their idiosyncrasies. This will lead us to do two things; to serve and to share. We will begin to serve others because they will truly become more important than ourselves. And we will begin sharing the good news of Jesus with those who do not know him. And it will all be birthed out of a heart that knows, loves, and follows Jesus.

The obvious question this leaves us with is this: If you are not serving others, and sharing the gospel with others what does this say about your heart?

John 13:1 - 17