Read John 13.1-17 and 31-35.
Jesus took off his outer robe and tied a towel around himself. We often get dressed up for special occasions. In Jesus’ culture, an outer robe could say something important about you, about your status or authority.
In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15), a sign of the son’s restoration into the household was being dressed with a fine robe. Jesus put aside this outer garment in order to reveal a crucial aspect of his life and ministry - as a servant of others. He laid aside his status in order to fulfil his calling to serve others (Philippians 2).
In the present time we too are having to lay aside important markers of our lives as Christians. We are no longer able to make our witness with the ‘cloak’ of church buildings and those activities we are so used to conducting within them. But in doing so, we have the opportunity to reveal some new aspect of our work, and to show how we might live our Christian life in new and different ways.
These things are a challenge to us, but they are also opportunities to explore new ways of putting ourselves in the service of others. In this challenging time of crisis, what ways are we being called to uncloak ourselves in the cause of Christ?
Prayer: Gracious God, your Son girded himself with a towel and washed the feet of his disciples. Give us the will to be servants of others as he was servant of all, who gave his life and died for us, yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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