Dear New Hope,

Summertime in northern Michigan is a perfect time for beach, swimming, flip-flops, and dirty feet. Parents, perhaps your children have had dirty feet like this picture of our daughters feet this week.

Imagine first century Israel. Sandals, dusty roads, and long hard days of walking the landscape of Israel. Imagine Jesus and his 12 disciples entering a home with feet as grubby and dirty as this. Imagine sitting down for a meal with unwashed feet, when the Savior gets up from the table and one by one kneels before his disciples to scrub the dirt off their feet. How debasing. How demeaning. How humiliating. How Christ-like.

Who does that? Who lowers themselves to touch the feet of another? Certainly it would be a servant. Certainly one of high esteem and lofty status would not lower themselves to such a position. Certainly no king would serve others like that. That is, no king of this world!

In the world’s economy, the greater you become the less you serve others and the more you expect others to do for you. In God’s economy, the greater you become the more you serve others and the less you expect others to do for you.

In the scripture Sunday, Jesus instructs us on true greatness. It is a totally different paradigm than we are ingrained with. He calls us to serve. He calls us to be last. He calls us to prefer others above ourselves. He calls us to bend the knee and wash feet.

Let’s put this into action. Be on the lookout for dirty feet and make it your aim to be the foot-washer. Look for opportunities to lower yourself and take the backseat. Serve your spouse in practical ways that meet a need and feels as if you are doing a task “far below” yourself. Help your boss or coworkers succeed by taking on projects that are below your status or below your pay grade. This is the way of God’s kingdom.

See you Sunday.

You are loved,
Craig Trierweiler