By David ReayMonday 23 Jun 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read John 13:12-17
12 After washing their feet,he put on his robe again and sat down and asked,”Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right,because that’s what I am. 14 And since I,your Lord and Teacher,have washed your feet,you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth,slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things,God will bless you for doing them. (NLT)
In today’s world,some people are famous for being famous. They have made no great contribution to society; they may have no special skill; they may not possess much virtue of character. And yet they are famous. They are public identities who sell magazines and attract attention.
Which is an example of just how hollow and corrupt our standards have become. A bit of glamour,a bit of wealth,a bit of sporting prowess,and that is enough to make someone famous. The rush to get on a ‘reality’ TV show is yet another example. Being seen and being visible is what matters.
A far cry from what Jesus is on about in this passage. He does the lowly and dirty job of footwashing. In doing so,he shows us what real character,real ‘fame’ is all about. As always,Jesus turns our contemporary and popular ideas on their head. Fame is not about getting in the limelight having others give us their adoration. Fame is about doing what is good out of the limelight and not necessarily getting any thanks for it.
Ultimately,getting famous is not the name of the game. Getting more Christlike is what matters. Fame is no substitute for faithfulness.
Blessings
David Reay