Luke 22:24-26 Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: “Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. John 13:2-6 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”
Can you picture this? We are sitting at the kitchen table eating and talking about important matters. How our worship will touch a life for Jesus., in the meantime the secret discussion is “I will be the best and I will be the most important… I will be in the spotlight.” “How can I make sure you ‘see’ me first, that I am the most popular?” This idea creates “clicks” that affect the order and the plan God has for his people and for this world. The story of the washing of the feet its one that touches my heart for what it means to me and others who are consider ‘the other”. As part of my doctoral class work, I engage in a session with a group of ministers from different traditions. Among us there was a beautiful and powerful Muslim sister. This specific day we listen to her about her experiences in prayer and observed her as she prepare for her prayers. I was amazed at her steps and surprised that my prayer ritual included some of the steps she was doing. We discussed our collective experiences observing her. Then came the turn to another sister minister who decided to teach us about ‘the washing of the feet’. She had all the necessary tools for her teaching, including gloves to protect us from any … Well, I was excited to share this experience with other ministers. Our sister minister lined us up in pairs to wash each other’s feet My partner was another Christian sister, and our sister minister was paired with our Muslim sister. To my surprised and that of all the people in the group, at the last minute she decided to change her partner and asked me to be the one washing the feet of our Muslim sister. I have to say that there was another brother, a Caucasian Christian brother who was paired with an African American minister. We both, took our positions and began preparation for this experience… we prayed, we poured the water, prepared the towels. Both of us unknowingly, refused to wear the gloves… I cried as I washed my Muslim sister’s feet, she cried as we became one in the Spirit. Our tears mixed with the water. You know, I became a servant to my Muslim sister and my Caucasian brother the servant to our African American minister. Once the practice was over, they both testified: Our Muslim sister was preparing for Chemotherapy and our African American male had received news from his doctor the day before that he had brain cancer…. And our God was there using the other – an Afrorican minister and a Caucasian brother – both to bring healing, peace and Spirit to the broken lives of our sister and brother. We became servant leaders – serving the need of the other.
Lord, in many instances we miss the opportunity to be servants due to our argument to be great! Let us discover that we are called to serve the other… even when we are not wearing gloves.
Lucas 22:24-26 Los discípulos tuvieron una discusión sobre cuál de ellos debía ser considerado el más importante. Jesús les dijo: «Entre los paganos, los reyes gobiernan con tiranía a sus súbditos, y a los jefes se les da el título de benefactores. Pero ustedes no deben ser así. Al contrario, el más importante entre ustedes tiene que hacerse como el más joven, y el que manda tiene que hacerse como el que sirve. Juan 13:2-5 El diablo ya había metido en el corazón de Judas, hijo de Simón Iscariote, la idea de traicionar a Jesús. Jesús sabía que había venido de Dios, que iba a volver a Dios y que el Padre le había dado toda autoridad; así que, mientras estaban cenando, se levantó de la mesa, se quitó la capa y se ató una toalla a la cintura. Luego echó agua en una palangana y se puso a lavar los pies de los discípulos y a secárselos con la toalla que llevaba a la cintura.
Podrías imaginarte esto? Estamos sentad@s en la mesa comiendo y hablando sobre cosas importantes. Como nuestra adoracion tocara una vida para Jesus, pero en lo secreto estamos pensando “ Seré l@ mejor, el/la mas importante.. Estare en la mirilla” “Como estare segur@ que me ‘vean’ a mi primero, que soy la/el mas popular?” Estas ideas crean “un corillo” que afecta el orden y el plan de Dios para su gente y para este mundo. La historia del lavado de los pies es una que toca mi Corazon, por lo que esta significa para me y para aquellos considered@s “otros”. Como parte de mi trabajo doctoral, me envolvi en una session grupal con ministr@s de diferentes tradiciones. Entre nosotr@s habia una Hermosa y ponderosa Hermana musulmana. En este dia especifico, escuchamos y la observamos en sus pasos para orar. Yo estaba maravillada con sus pasos y sorprendida que su ritual de oracion incluia algunos pasos que yo hago al orar. Discutimos nuestras experiencias colectivas despues de observarla. Ahora le toco a otra Hermana ministro quien decidio ensenarnos su tradicion de “lavar los pies”. Ella trajo las cosas necesarias para su enseñanza, incluyendo guantas para protegernos de ….. Bueno, Yo estaba emocionada de poder compartir esta experiencia con otros ministr@s. Ella nos alineo en parejas para que nos lavaramos los pies un@s a otr@s. Mi pareja era otra Hermana Cristiana, y ella estaba aparejada con nuestra Hermana musulmana. Para mi sorpresa y la de los otr@s en el grupo, al ultimo momento mi Hermana Cristiana decidio cambiar su pareja y me pidio que fuera yo quien lavara los pies de mi Hermana musulmana. Tengo que decir, que habia otro hermano, un hermano blanco que fue aparejado con un ministro afroamericano. Nosotros ambos, mi hermano blanco y yo, tomamos nuestras posiciones y comenzamos la preparacion para esta experiencia… oramos, echamos agua en la vasija,, preparamos las toallas. Ambos sin saberlo, rehusamos usar los guantes… Yo llore mientras lavaba los pies de mi Hermana musulmana, ella lloro y nos hicimos una en el espiritu. Nuestras lagrimas se mezclaron con el agua. Sabes?, yo me converti en una seirva para mi Hermana musulmana y mi hermano blanco en siervo de nuestro hermano afro Americano. Cuando la experiencia termino, ellos ambos testificaron: Nuestra Hermana musulmana testifico que se estaba preparando para comenzar quimoterapia; y nuestro hermano afro Americano testifico que su medico le habia dicho el dia anterior que el tenia cancer en el cerebro…Y nuestro Dios estaba alli, usando al otro – una ministro Afroriqueña y un hermano blanco – ambos trayendo salud, paz y el espiritu a dos vidas que estaban en pedazos. Nos convertimos en lideres-siervos – sirviendo la necesidad de la otra persona.
Señor, en muchos instantes perdemos la oportunidad de ser sierv@s porque estamos discutiendo que solo queremos ser grandes, populares, los mejores, los mas importantes! Permitenos descubrir que tu nos has llamado para servir al otro… aun cuando no usemos guantes.
Manantial de Gracia 