I recently wrote a research paper for my Discipleship Strategies class called "Love: The Heart of Biblical Discipleship." In this paper I looked at John 13:34-35, "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." In the paper, I used this focal passage to generate two questions related to discipleship: How did Jesus show His love? and Can those physical demonstrations of His love translate into a spiritual model for biblical discipleship?
Just prior to this command given by Jesus, we read in John 13:1, It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love. What did Jesus do? He washed the disciples' feet. They protested His act of humble service, but Jesus continued to wash each disciple's feet and then said in John 13:13-17, "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. I tell you the truth, 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."
Jesus modeled His love through acts of service, those acts pointed to the love of the Father. In Philippians 2:3-7 the apostle Paul writes, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. You attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...
I write all of this to say that we are to replicate Jesus' servant nature in all aspects of our lives. Last night, I was witnessed to. I think it was a first in all of my life that I was approached by a stranger who was seeking to point me to Christ. I was pumping gas after church when an older gentleman walked over to my car and asked if he could wash my windshield. I said, "No, I really appreciate it, but that's not necessary. Thank you." He said, "Please, let me wash it for you." I consented and he proceeded to clean my windshield and polish up my headlights. When he finished I said, "Thank you. That was very kind of you." He said, "Well, there's a Scripture I like to live by and I'd like to share it with you. Jesus said in Matthew 7:12, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Then he walked off.
That was such a simple act of service. Did it take some time and effort? Yes. But had I been hungry for the gospel, that humble act would have opened my eyes and ears to whatever that man was going to say to me. That should be a lesson to all of us. In order to share an effective gospel, we cannot leave out the acts of service. Acts of service and sharing the love of Christ are inseparable.
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