XVIII) HAVING A SERVANT’S HEART

In light of the record of the Synoptic Gospels it is interesting that in John’s Gospel, as we come to the Passion of Christ and anticipate the Lord’s Supper, we find Jesus washing His disciples' feet. I agree with those who see here an intent on the part of John, via the Holy Spirit, to place Feetwashing within the framework of a Sacrament. I agree with the view held by Chris Thomas, Ph.D. (a professor at the Church of God Theological Seminar) that Feetwashing is a powerful symbol of the continual cleansing of the blood of Christ. Water Baptism is a Sacrament that symbolizes the initial cleansing experienced at salvation and Feetwashing represents the daily and continuing cleansing of the believer through Calvary.

With that said, however, I want to focus on another lesson in this account, that being the example of servant leadership displayed by Christ to His disciples and to us today. Jesus gives us a powerful example of great leadership and at the heart of that example is the picture of the teacher kneeling down and washing the feet of His students.

The idea of servant leadership is not new. It has been explored and probed through countless articles and books on the subject and I probably have nothing novel to add except to reiterate the point. Great leaders are not focused on raising up people who will cater only to those above them on the corporate ladder, but will be a servant to those coming up behind them as well. Leadership writer John Maxwell has often expressed that great leaders will always be looking to help lift the lives of others up and to develop more great leaders. Great leaders, developing great leaders, developing great leaders, will insure the life and longevity, as well as the future and vitality, of the organization or the church.

I was blessed to be able to have lunch with our denominational Administrative Bishop of our state this week. He came and spoke for us at the church which I pastor but I didn’t know him very well. Given his position and the propensity for politics at that level of leadership I had tended to assume that while he was likeable and seemingly amicable, he would operate according to what was politically expedient. After talking with him and breaking bread with him I soon found that he is a man who is willing to take a stand on principle. In addition, he asked me if there was anything he could do to facilitate my functioning in a small leadership position I hold in the state. I came away from that lunch with a new respect for this man’s leadership because I sensed in him a man of principle, compassion and a servant’s heart.

Jesus knelt down and washed His disciples’ feet. This was the task of the servants in the house, not the Rabbi, not the Master. Peter tried to stop Jesus from washing his feet but Jesus insisted and Peter eventually relented. Jesus was showing us that if we want to be a great leader then we must have a servant’s heart. We must be willing to kneel down and wash the feet of those we want to teach servant leadership to.

Jesus also shows us that we must be willing to lead by example. Jesus didn’t just say that we are to serve one another (though He did teach this on several occasions), but Jesus showed us what it looks like to be a servant. When others see the leader serving, they will be more inclined to serve as well.

As the senior pastor of a medium sized and growing church I cannot personally wash the feet of every member, I cannot visit every home and counsel every member, but I can wash the feet of my elders and staff members and teach them to serve others. I can be a servant to those I want to raise up in leadership positions in the church so that they will be servant leaders as well and everyone in the church senses that they are cared for and ministered to.

Some see the servant leadership model as a weak model for leadership, but we see the strength of Christ as Peter tried to resist the lesson. Jesus was serving but He was still the leader and He was still in command of the encounter. There is nothing weak about this model. It takes confidence and a high level of personal security in one’s role to be willing to employ the servant leader model. Insecure and egotistical leaders simply cannot bring themselves to serve in this fashion. Such leaders need constant affirmation and control of others. But these leaders do not reflect the leadership model displayed by Christ kneeling down and washing the feet of his disciples.