March 11, 2025
"When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, 'Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.'"
John 13:12-15 (ESV)
Jesus, the Creator of the universe, drops to His knees and washes the dirty, grimy feet of His disciples — no hesitation, no pride. If anyone had the right to skip this task, it was Him. He did it anyway. He did itas an example for us.
As business owners and leaders, we tend to get wrapped up in titles and responsibilities. Jesus flips that upside down. Greatness in God’s Kingdom isn’t about climbing the ladder — it’s about stepping down to serve. Christian leadership isn’t about being above others, it’s about serving others in real ways that the world might be confused by.
Tim Keller said this about this passage:
“In this act, Jesus is showing his followers that greatness in God’s kingdom comes through serving. To follow him is to lead by washing the feet of others. If Jesus, the Lord of all, would take the lowest place, then we must be willing to do the same, regardless of our status or position.” — Tim Keller
But here’s the thing: Jesus wasn’t just cleansing His disciples’ feet outwardly—He was pointing to a deeper cleansing that would come through His death on the cross. He washed their feet as a symbol of the greater purification He would bring, cleansing them from the inside out. As we steward our businesses, we can followChrist’s example — not just in serving, but in being a light for the Gospel, pointing others to the transformational, inward cleansing that only Jesus can provide. When we serve with humility, we reflect the heart of the Gospel — a Gospel that doesn’t just clean up the outside but transforms us from the inside out.