The fourth (4/5) hallmark of discipleship that Jesus claimed would characterize His apprentice, is servant love (John 13:34-35). It is the one trait that gives evidence to the world that our apprenticeship is authentic.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. (35) Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (John 13:35-35 NLT).
Having announced His betrayal and identified his betrayer, Jesus turned His attention to the remaining disciples and said,
- So now I am giving you a new commandment
At first this would seem incorrect because the command to love one another was of paramount importance in the Old Testament (Lev. 19:18). In fact, when Jesus was asked to sum up the Old Testament law, He gave the well-known dual of loving God and loving others (Mark 12:29, 31). So what makes it “new”?
The answer is not in the trait itself but in the model. In the Old Testament the best model of how to love others was how people loved themselves. We can relate all too well. Serving self is in our DNA. We are the center of our own affections and acts of kindness. So to serve others the same way we serve ourselves is a good model.
But with the incarnation of God in Christ, we now have a better model of servant love – Jesus Christ.
If the new birth in Christ is intended to free us from the self-focus and narcissism of our fallen nature, it would make sense that we would need a different point of reference.
With our new commandment to love others as Jesus loves, it becomes less relevant how well we love ourselves. “You can’t love others without first loving yourself” may be popular psychology, but it is not New Testament discipleship.
In this explanation of servant love, Jesus is raising the bar just as He often did when giving His interpretation of the Old Testament precepts. The command for us to love others as Christ loves requires both the power of His Holy Spirit and an accurate understanding of how Jesus loves.
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God (Eph. 5:1-2 NLT).
Before Jesus gave the command to love in the same way He loves, He gave a practical example by washing the feet of the disciples. This job was normally reserved for the lowest servant of the household and apparently all the disciples thought it was beneath them to perform it. This servant act by Jesus was done purposely to demonstrate His love for them and to prepare their hearts for the exhortations and discourse that followed.
Jesus used foot washing as a model of servant love and it had at least three different levels of meaning:
- Physical: an act of kindness for the benefit of others.
This is the most obvious meaning and amazingly (in this context) it even included Judas who was only hours away from betraying Jesus.
- Emotional: an expression of enduring love.
John introduces this act of kindness with the comment “Having loved His own, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Jesus’ expression of servant love came out of His very nature as both a servant and lover. Paul states that Jesus took on the form of a bond-servant (Phil. 2:5-11). The word “form” implies His serving was an expression of His inner essence.
In contrast with love that needs to be placated, coerced and manipulated, our sovereign Lord expressed His nature as a servant who loves. This love removes obstacles to relationships and communicates to another person that he/she is valuable, important and deeply appreciated. Serving is one way to express enduring love.
- Spiritual: an illustration of forgiveness and spiritual healing.
Perhaps out of feeling embarrassed, Peter resisted having Jesus wash his feet. However, when Jesus told him the foot washing was an illustration of cleansing/forgiveness, he asked for a bath. Jesus explained that he didn’t need a bath (justification, 1 Cor. 6:11) but he did need his feet washed (daily cleansing, I John 1:9). Peter didn’t understand this until later when he realized that Jesus’ love and forgiveness transcended even his denial.
On this side of the cross, we can see how forgiveness is an expression of Christ’s self-sacrificing love. We also recognize as His apprentices the need to demonstrate servant love by forgiving others (Matt. 6:12). One way this can be done is by “forgiving forward”. We decide before-hand to not be offended or attribute motives to the actions of others. In other words, we will give up our right to be right and choose not to be offended.
“Love is patient and kind…it does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged…Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1Cor. 13:4-7 NLT).
The second observation is that Jesus not only gave the command to love as He loved, but, in fact, the world will judge the authenticity of our apprenticeship by our love rather than by our religious practices.
- Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.
All the traits or hallmarks of discipleship reflect the nature and character of Jesus as they were displayed during his earthly life. Each trait is a thread woven throughout His earthly ministry. Servanthood was one of the more obvious ones. If you did a “man on the street” interview asking people to describe Jesus, the most common response would probably be, “He went around doing good for others.”
The early church demonstrated servant love within the family of faith by taking care of their widows (Acts 6). Also Paul urged the newly established churches in Asia Minor to send aid to the family of faith in Jerusalem who were suffering from a famine (2 Cor. 9:1-5). In both cases the aid was for those in need within the family of faith.
Demonstrating servant love begins at (but is not limited to) home and the family of faith. Servant love at all three levels (physical, emotional, and spiritual) should be highly visible within and among God’s family. When this is put into practice even those outside the faith will recognize it as a mark of being a disciple of Jesus. In fact, Jesus gives the world permission to assess our discipleship based on how well we love one another. I wonder if servant love was our public image, would there be more interest in the gospel?
Questions for reflection:
- What are some additional reasons why Jesus changed the model for loving others from self to Himself?
Why do you think the first focus for servant love was on the family of faith rather than on the world at large?
This is good. I am teaching through John, and your comments add additional insight. You also triggered a thought in me that in Acts 2:45, 4:32-37 the new church demonstrated this love to the rest of the world by selling their possessions and helping each other. It was a massive foot washing in a sense.