Passion Week: Holy Thursday

Activity: With your parent's permission, ask your parent if you can help with the cleaning. Maybe you could wash the dishes, sweep the floors, vacuum the living room, or do a load of laundry and put it away. Do whatever they ask you to clean cheerfully and with a smile.

Cleaning, mopping, washing...all things we think that it is “someone else's” job to do. If we lived when people had servants or maids we might be tempted to leave all that work to them. But the reality is is chores are part of living in a household. From cooking to cleaning to fixing things, we each have a job to do...and how we do that job is what Jesus taught his disciples on this Thursday evening.

When they arrived for the meal, instead of waiting for the servant to clean their hands and feet before the meal as was custom, Jesus put a towel around His waist and went to work, washing the disciples feet. 

Jesus had already told them “The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matt 23:11) Now He was demonstrating that: He was here to serve “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark10:45). 

So as he washed each disciples feet, even Judas', each got to spend time in his presence and learn this directly from Him. As he dipped his hands in the water, the nard on Jesus' skin would have lightly scented the water, carrying the scent of being with him.

Throughout the meal He reminded His disciples of that the things that were about to happen were all part of the the plan. Jesus, knowing he would die in less that a day's time was the servant thinking of others, encouraging his disciples, and praying for them. He had told them on the way to Jerusalem the plan: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” (Mark 9:31). And after dinner, long after Judas had left to set the next day's events into motion, Jesus and the remaining disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 

The scent of Jesus, 
the Servant Leader, 
among them lingered 
as the walked up the hill to the garden. 
Jesus was with them---they could tell it by the nard. 

This is what it means to be a true servant to others: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

True leadership can only be found in serving others as Jesus showed. Remember: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”(Colossians 3:17). Maybe throughout the coming week and next you can find more ways to help and serve others. Whether it is doing something without being asked, doing something cheerfully after being asked, or even quietly helping someone else in a way that only other person who knows you did that is Jesus! Find ways to leave His Servant's scent in everything you do!