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Long before I became a Christian, the account of Jesus lovingly washing his disciples’ feet stood as a guiding inspiration for me, in any interaction I had with anyone where I was in a position of authority or power over them. For me, that loving action that Jesus took for his protégés provides a very clear message: The only legitimate use of power is to serve. As He said, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:35-45 and Matt. 20:20-28).

Using our personal power to serve others is a way to free others, of course. But does it also do something to free ourselves? To answer this question, we can think of the situations in our own lives when we did use our power to serve those we love and care for, and situations in which we used our power to serve only ourselves. In the short term, maybe some of those moments in which we used power to serve ourselves were freeing for us. We do need to put ourselves first some of the time, even just to be able to keep giving. But beyond a certain measure, we are not freeing ourselves if we act in self-interest. In fact, that is the theme of much good literature that has been handed down to us through the ages! Jesus taught that “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). In the long run, it is when we use our power to serve others that we are freeing ourselves to be who we are, and not (paradoxically) slaves to a “self,” or a worldview, that takes us away from our values and hence ourselves. 

“Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

                                                                                                          Luke 6:38

 

Artwork - Jesus Washes Peter's Feet, Ford Madox Brown, Tate Gallery

Image released under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED

Worship And Prayer
Observing Lent