I have looked at many pastoral job openings and read the job descriptions and requirements. I cannot recall one referencing being a professional foot washer. Yet Jesus taught his closest friends a key lesson in being a servant the night before His death.
Servant Leader
Jesus got up from the table, put on a towel, and began to wash the disciple’s feet. His act was one of service, reserved for servants or those with little prestige. The people held a royal parade a few days ago while waving palm branches. The parade announced Jesus was King (or should be treated like one.) I am sure His disciples were rejoicing. They had already tried to ask for the right and left hand next to Jesus on His royal throne. They had followed Jesus through thick and thin and were ready for the Kingdom rule to start.
So Jesus teaches them one final lesson. A student cannot be greater than the master, and yet the master is humbling himself, taking on the task of a servant. And as He finished, a challenge was issued, “Go and do likewise.” The disciples were ready for true prestige, recognition, the power to rule, and authority. Jesus handed them their most needed lesson. They needed to learn that the Kingdom of God turns the world on its head. Greatness is achieved when you serve and sacrifice.
CE-N-O
I still remember reading John Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, in my early 20’s. While I don’t always agree with Piper’s theological conclusions, his insistence that being a pastor is different from any other profession was spot on. I highly recommend it if you are a pastor and haven’t read it. The question he posed that most challenged me was: what kind of professional regularly finds themselves weeping as they pray for their congregation? Similarly, what kind of professional looks first to serve rather than to be served?
In my most recent podcast, I meditated on Jesus’ teaching on producing fruit. Followers of Christ will be known by what fruit they produce by what they do, not just what is said from the pulpit, in a podcast, or a blog. Pastors particularly need to reflect on the condition of their hearts. And we must be reminded that good fruit comes from the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and hearts. What better time to examine yourself than Holy Week, remembering how Jesus washed the disciple’s feet before ultimately sacrificing His life?
A Cup of Coffee
Easter Sunday tends to be the Super Bowl for the church. We pull out all the stops and spare no expense, expecting people to be ready to hear and respond to the Gospel. It might be the only day that some people drag themselves to church. And I don’t want to diminish any of that. But I do want to express how pastors have impacted my life far beyond the pulpit and without the expectation of Easter Sunday in the past month.
One Sunday, my wife was in the church service and had a slight cough due to a dry throat. She went into the foyer and looked for coffee, which had already been cleared away and put up. The church’s senior pastor noticed she was looking for something, and she mentioned she was looking for coffee. She thought it was just a passing conversation. A few moments later, he hand-delivered coffee to her seat. It is a big enough church that he could have just done nothing, or there is enough staff that he could have found somebody else to do it. But he didn’t. It is a continuing reminder and example that if your life and heart don’t reflect the words you say on stage, you are just a noisy bell or gong. You want to follow Jesus, serve, and sacrifice, even when no one else is watching.
Food for the Soul
The second story is about my pastor friend taking time out of his schedule to encourage me. Even better, he picked up the bill for lunch. The last year has been challenging, particularly professionally, and at times I have felt lost as to where God is calling me. I have lived the life of Joseph in a sense, and I know that God was and is shaping me into the person I need to be. But that can be a complex, challenging, and lonely place. And so I reached out to my friend, and he came and ate lunch with me, and we sat and talked for three hours. I left feeling reenergized and encouraged, not to mention excited to hear how God was at work in my friend’s church. It was a cup of cold water for my dry and weary soul.
Pro Foot Washers Wanted
With the continued tales of out-of-check egos and abuses of authority from well-known pastors echoing in my ears, I propose that we change expectations for our pastors. We should care less about whether they can cast a vision or have strong leadership. Instead, we should be concerned if they cannot demonstrate and teach others to be sacrificial servants. What if we were more excited about hearts that caught fire and grew for God than budgets that got bigger?
Maybe we could add “professional foot washer” to every pastor’s job description. Starting with one of Jesus’ last earthly lessons would be a great foundation to build any expectations. And a potent reminder that as followers, pastors or not, we are ultimately called to serve one another and demonstrate the love of God in all we do.
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