A Kingdom of Servants

Shane Claiborne was an evangelical Christian leader and a social activist, advocating for non-violence and service to the poor. During his studies in the 90s, he worked for 10 weeks alongside Mother Theresa in Calcutta. In his book, “Living as an Ordinary Radical”, he recounted the following about Mother Theresa:

“Mother Teresa was one of those people who sacrificed great privilege because she encountered such great need. People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it’s like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery, like a beautiful wise old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget - her feet. Her feet were deformed. Each morning in Mass, I would stare at them. I wondered if she had contracted leprosy. But I wasn’t going to ask, of course. ‘Hey Mother, what’s wrong with your feet?’ One day a sister said to us, ‘Have you noticed her feet?’ We nodded, curious. She said, ‘Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair. So, she digs through, finds the worst pair and wears them. And years of doing that have deformed her feet.’ Years of loving her neighbour as herself deformed her feet.” [a]

This story reminds me of the night when the God of the Universe, on bended knees, took a towel, dipped it into water, and began to wash each of His disciple’s feet. It’s hard to understand the significance of this scene, especially since we live in the 21st century. In the Ancient Near East, people wore sandals. When they entered their homes after a long day in the sweat-inducing heat and dusty roads, most of them would have filthy, sweaty, and sometimes smelly feet. Remember, during those days, there were no sidewalks or pavements. The roads were dusty and possibly littered with animal dung. Therefore, it was common courtesy to have one’s feet washed before entering into the home. And it was usually done by a servant/slave or the women in the house. Some rabbis in Israel taught that the task was so lowly and demeaning that it was unacceptable to have a Jew do it, even if he/she was a slave because that act was considered “unclean”.

Therefore, can you imagine the stunned look on the disciples’ faces when their Master, the Maker of heaven and earth, stooped down and washed their feet! You see, Christ didn’t just teach; He demonstrated what He taught through His actions. By washing His disciples' feet, Jesus was willing to throw away His reputation, status, and preference. Instead, he embraced the role that was only fit for the lowest in society. He scrubbed and cleaned their dirty, filthy, smelly feet with His hands and the towel. He essentially showed them that in the Kingdom of Heaven, the way up is to go down. It is an upside-down kingdom. It wasn’t just enough to tell His disciples how much He loved them. He showed them how much He loved them - by becoming their servant. His love for them was not a mere vision or words. He translated His words into action.

In a world that is me-first, being a servant is counter-cultural. The me-first culture says that it is about me - my happiness first, my career first, my reputation first, my comfort first… But the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite - “it’s not about me”. In order to have a love revolution in our hearts, we first need to change the posture of our hearts. Just like our Master, may we always have the posture of serving others beyond ourselves. May we not be afraid to put ourselves second. Maturity is always evidenced by thinking about others first and not ourselves. Let us have the posture of Christ as we relate with the people around us - to serve and not to be served.

[a] Excerpt from The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, Page 158. Zondervan, 2016. (1st Edition, 1975)

Reflection

• How have you experienced the Servant King serving you in your life?
• Is servanthood demonstrated in your life? Is it evident? How can I be a servant to the people in my cell, in my church, and in my life? Think practically and not conceptually.
• How can you serve one another within your cell group?

Application

Wherever you are, take the posture of a servant, always willing to serve others first.