Foot Washing Part V: The Benefit of Another

October 28, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Recap: Last week, we explored Jesus’s encouragement for His followers to imitate His gesture of foot washing. Today, we turn to what makes such gestures genuine, a loving heart.

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“True love looks primarily to the benefit of another,” wrote Desiderius Erasmus. Pretty hard to argue with that.

And, yet, in this constant parade and inundation of love through:

  • media

  • worn-out sayings

  • and cultural conventions

it’s easy to lose sight of where love gets its strength. 

For it’s the love in our hearts that gives meaningful weight to the lives we lead and how we lead them.

More than just a buzzword, love is an extension of God Himself, a primary place of encounter with Him.

We can see it as an animating force that gives life to our thoughts, actions, and more. Jesus phrases it far better than I can.

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

He makes it clear, His love is the gold standard, His love is what we are to imitate if we can hope for our foot washing to be truly genuine. 

Jesus didn’t come to Earth and walk the path to the Cross because He felt like He had to or because of some mindless obligation. He walked that path because He genuinely wanted to because He was moved by love for the human race. Because He wanted to see us flourish.

That was more important to Him than His comfort. 

The Apostle Paul makes as much clear in 1 Corinthians 13. In a nutshell, what He’s saying there is “If love ain’t sitting in the cockpit, it’s not worth it.”

No love, no true value.

The Bible teaches us that God is love incarnate, and that a true understanding of love cannot be separated from who He is.

For it’s God who attributes ultimate value to life and true love is tied to recognizing the value of life. This is why acts of justice and service are so admirable. 

When an individual lives in alignment with such love, people notice.

This is why Jesus said, “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Christ’s love runs so counter to the way of the world that it naturally warrants attention. It stands out and tells others something profound about who we are and who we live for.

Bold displays of such love turn into places of encounter between God and others.

That brings another dimension to the love of our foot washing.

More than just practical help (which is important) it holds an eternal element. 

It transforms normal acts of service into windows of God’s Kingdom and all the beauty that comes with life there.

It shows others the Better Way of Jesus and encourages them towards Him.

This, I believe, is an important part of the Church’s calling. Now there are many ways such a calling can manifest. Tomorrow, I’ll share the approach that we take at our church here in Rotterdam. Perhaps it can be of some encouragement. 

However you practice it, just remember- that love is our lifeblood! 

For now, be blessed.

Jon

Theophilus Newsletter

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Everyday we will include the short of the day, related to the topic of the newsletter. Today: What does Erasmus have to say about love?

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