Clothed for Service

My church's pastor loves to use metaphors, word pictures, alliteration, funny phrases, basically anything that will help us remember what he's getting at. Today he had one that stuck with me. The context of the sermon was the attributes of Christ which we as followers can imitate. What did he do, and why did he do them? One of those attributes was Christ's service towards others. This is probably best shown through Jesus' washing of the disciples feet during the last supper.

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13: 1-17, NIV

The "clever" thing my pastor said was that we "clothe" ourselves with service. Christ had to take off his outer clothing and put on the towel to serve. Now he admitted this isn't a new idea, The author of Colossians used the same idea when they said "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12). Good things are rarely new. But it's going to stick with me since I literally need to wear something everyday (or I'll get very odd looks from my coworkers).

There is also an addendum to this metaphor. As a father of 2 little boys I not only put on my own clothing, but theirs as well. They are literally unable to clothe themselves, so its up to me to do it for them. Very slowly they will learn from me. Maybe at first it's just their shirt, or their socks, but there will come a time when they can do it all on their own.

When it comes to service, or any orther virtue for that matter, I'm more often than not the toddler in this word picture. The closest I get is to hold the shirt up to my head like my toddler sometimes does (Yes it is very cute when he does it). I think that's one reason we have the Holy Spirit, and are called to live in community with other believers. They can teach me how to put on my socks, pull the shirt over my head.