What Does Love Require

Hours before Jesus was arrested and taken away from His followers He, knowing that His crucifixion was eminent and His work with these men was drawing to a close, was still teaching them perhaps one of His greatest lessons. He did not tell them how to speak to the masses eloquently or be more charismatic in order to win the people in the crowds. He did not tell them how to memorize all He said and did or the scrolls of law in the synagogues. In fact, it wasn’t so much what He told them, but what He showed them that was remarkable. John recounts the story…

³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,

and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing,

and wrapped a towel around his waist.

⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began

to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This was God in a human body with all the power needed to command Heaven and Earth to bow down and worship Him, but instead, He took the place of a servant and washed the dirty, dusty, stinky feet of His followers. And when He was finished He said…

¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,

nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

I’m pretty sure we all know what is means to serve others in love because we generally expect it from our spouse! I have been serving the church for a lot of years and have heard the cases of many couples who don’t feel that their partner is loving them as they need to be loved. One is putting much more effort into the marriage than the other and when there is no pay off for their hard work, eventually they are ready to call it quits! We have a pretty high standard when it comes to our expectations.

Jesus has the solution. Serve as He did. Nobody expected the Teacher to be the one to wash the grime off of their feet. But He Did. And then told them that He had set the example for them to follow. In essence He said to them, “I don’t have to serve you. I could create an entire staff of servants to serve all of us. I could command you to wash my feet…But, I served you because I love you. Now you go do the same. Show your love by serving.

Let’s bring that home. Do you ever feel like you are giving all that your partner needs and wants and they are not receiving your offerings? Perhaps you are serving them in the manner in which you desire to be served and aren’t even close to meeting the needs they feel as you serve them. Maybe you don’t think he should need that so you don’t freely offer it. Perhaps you don’t feel comfortable saying that to her so you remain silent. Can you explain to me how that is serving your spouse in love? Guess what? You don’t get to determine what they desire from you or what they need in order to feel loved. You are simply asked, by Jesus himself, to serve them in love.

Jesus service went all the way to the cross because of His unfathomable love for us. 

What does love require of you?