Today is Maundy Thursday, when we join Jesus and his disciples in an upper room for their last meal together. It would have been a time of conversation and relaxation, but also tension, as the road to Jerusalem turned out to have many potholes in it. For now, all was peaceful, even though Jesus knew it wouldn't last. As the meal came to an end, Jesus did something strange: he got up from the table, poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his beloved disciples. Amazing! He was their teacher, their guide, their Lord, their Messiah - and he was washing their feet, just as a servant would. What could it mean?

What it meant was that Jesus would spend his remaining time reminding his disciples that if they were serious about following him, and if they were called to spread his love after he was gone, they needed to be servants - to one another, and to the world. "I have set you an example, that you should also do what I have done for you." (John 13:15).               

Now I must confess that my view of servants and servanthood has become a bit skewed from watching reruns of "Downton Abbey" during these pandemic days. Surely it means more than dusting chandeliers and laying out the correct silverware for yet another grand dinner. 

When Jesus washed his disciples' feet, he was modeling a life of self giving and humility, even as he looked toward to the suffering that was to come. As we follow Jesus, whether in a large city or small town, how do we find ways to be servants to one another. What might servanthood mean for us? Here's a prayerful suggestion.
 

Companion of our days,

you walk with us as we rush about,

driving to the shopping mall or walking the busy streets,

    and you call us to be servants.

Servants?! Who wants to be a servant?

But still you call us, and when we open our hearts and listen, we understand.

If we are servants, we care for people we meet in our walking or sitting.

If we are servants, we understand that

    a tired nanny needs a seat on a bus,

    a lost stranger requires directions,

    a homeless person wants both a coin and a smile,

    a child needs encouragement for the next task,

    a man or woman in a wheelchair looks for
    acknowledgement and encouragement.

Servants -  thank you, Jesus, for the reminder of who and all we can be.

(Worship in the City - Nancy E. Hardy)


- Rev. Dr. Nancy E. Hardy