February 5, 2019
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.” – John 13: 3-5
Maurice Anderson is a young man who lives in Chicago. Like so many in the great city of Chicago, Maurice rides the subway to go work and to get back home. On the weekends, he rides to travel to his hometown. The subway in Chicago, also known as the “L,” transports people from all walks of life. It was no surprise, when Maurice boarded the train late one Friday, that he found himself sitting across from a homeless man.
Not long into the trip, Maurice noticed that the homeless man had removed his feet from his tennis shoes. His feet were swollen and bleeding, obviously damaged from the cold winter. Maurice held out a few moments and finally asked the man sitting across from him, “What size do you wear?” The homeless man answered, “Size 12.” Maurice was a 12 ½. He reached down and untied his shoes and handed them over.
Several people on the L noticed this wonderful exchange. Jessica Bell was on train took a picture and later said, “I have never seen someone give the clothes off their back so unselfishly and so humbly.”
John’s Gospel gives us a clear picture into the heart of Jesus. As he traveled from town to town he had compassion on the people he encountered. On the night that Jesus was arrested, John tells us that Jesus stopped what he was doing to wash the feet of the disciples. This beautiful glimpse into the heart of Jesus reminds us that we should also be on the lookout for opportunities to serve. As we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is, let us pray that our deeper faith opens us to greater opportunities to share God’s love.
-Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
