Not About a Bunny: Explaining Easter to Your KidsSampel

Stinky Feet and Servanthood

What would you eat for your last meal? Perhaps you would choose your favorite restaurant meal and then add a decadent dessert.

For Jesus, his last meal before his betrayal and arrest landed on Passover. Passover is a holy event where the Jewish people remember when God spared them from the plague of death and then led them out of Egypt.

It was at this Passover meal that Jesus commanded us to remember his death,which would pay for our sins.

During the Last Supper, Jesus also taught the principles of servanthood and forgiveness. He did this by washing his disciples’ feet. In biblical times, people wore sandals on the dusty roads, which dirtied their feet. Foot washing was a job that was left to the lowliest of servants.

Jesus broke the cultural norm and stooped to wash his disciples’ feet. They were shocked. Jesus was teaching his disciples about selfless service—a theme that would be exemplified by his ultimate sacrifice.

Servanthood is a central theme of the Bible because Jesus came as a servant. Mark 10:45 (NIV) reminds us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serveand to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We can follow Jesus’ example by expressing humble servanthood in the way we interact with others: our coworkers, church, family and friends.

You might say, “The people I’m around don’t deserve it.” You’re right. Most people don’t deserve the blessing of servanthood. The disciples didn’t deserve it either. In fact, before the Last Supper, the disciples had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Jesus’ attitude of humility became a stark contrast to the attitude of the disciples.Jesus made it clear: We’re called to emulate him, serving each other with a humble spirit and building each other up in love.

Scripture: John 13:1-17