Praotes 2

John 13:1-5

Sometimes the hardest thing to face with an aging parent is the role reversal that happens when the parent becomes the one who needs care and the child becomes the caregiver. It's difficult for everyone involved, but the loss of independence can be extremely frustrating and degrading for the parent.

The ability to care for ourselves is important, showing ourselves and others that we can succeed; we are independent. The need for assistance in private care is a concession of helplessness and dependency. And offering that help is an act of humility and love – love expressed in our own self-control.

What was Jesus planning to do at the Passover Feast? What background information is presented in verses 2 and 3? What does Jesus do?

It was customary in the time of Christ for visitors to wash their face and hands as they entered a home. They would also have their dirty feet washed off so as not to track in any undesirable filth and germs. But this act was done by a servant – a second class (or third class) person.

But, before the Passover Feast that we have come to know as the Lord’s Supper went forward, Jesus showed his disciples in a very concrete and visible way how much he loved them. Identifying himself with the bread and wine to show the sacrifice he was about to perform was a bit more esoteric. This act was easy to understand.

Jesus had been the teacher, the leader of this group of faithful people. And now he was offering another lesson – the lesson of sacrifice. And that lesson required praotes – gentleness – a submission to God’s will. Jesus, the teacher, was making himself a gentle person, one who had praotes – the ability to be taught, to give of himself, to lower himself to the level of a true servant.

He loved them so much that he served them. He washed their feet. It was an act of humility. It was an act of kindness, gentleness, and goodness. It was Jesus giving himself away to those whom he loved.

Here is an example of agape love, the love that is part of the fruit of the Spirit. When we are in step with the Spirit and we belong to Jesus, then we will be able to express our love the way Jesus did. We will be able to love sacrificially, completely, in ways that demonstrate all of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. And the act of washing the disciples’ feet was not a showy display of service; it was profound, yet simple and gentle. Such should be our attitude of serving others in gentleness.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you sacrifice for others?