Recently I went to a clinic for an eye injury. I was in a different state and it had taken a while to find the clinic. My eye was hurting and I was wondering whether the damage would be permanent. As usual, the receptionist asked for information. But there was something extra. There was a kindness in her attitude that was reassuring. There is a saying that it’s hard to define kindness, but we know when we experience it from others. We may not remember specifically what people say to us, but we remember when they are kind.
Shortly before His arrest, Jesus made a point of teaching his followers about serving others. When Jesus lived in Israel, people walked in sandals and the roads were made of dirt. So, people’s feet got really dirty. It was the task of a servant to wash people’s feet. This was not a fun or glamorous duty. People probably didn’t say, “Hey, I get to wash feet. This is fun.” During supper Jesus washed the feet of his closest 12 followers. “After He had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do, as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.’” John 13:12-17.
So, if Jesus is our Teacher and Lord, then we also need to follow His example. He served others, so we also need to serve. We can greet a neighbor or say something kind to them. We can take time to listen to someone who doesn’t have people to talk with. We can call someone who is lonely or recently had a loss. We can eat with someone. We can give a ride to someone who needs one. We can give flowers or cut their grass when they aren’t able to.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Ephesus about following Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” Ephesians 2:8-10.
What good works has my Lord and Teacher prepared for me today? I need to pay attention to recognize my opportunities and then act on them. What good work has your Lord and Teacher prepared for you today? Are you looking for it? Are you ready to do it? If we follow Jesus, this is our way of life.
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