30 Days Watching Jesus. A towel.

Nathan: 00:00

[Jesus] rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Hey, I’m Nathan, and this is Day 21 of 30 Days Watching Jesus. Pause. Take it in. This is an epic moment in Jesus final days. He is there, in an upper room, lit with lamps, sharing a sacred meal with his disciples. He’d walked with them for some three years—and now that journey is nearing its end. At least for him. As he watches the tension in the room, his heart aches. How can he communicate the kingdom way to these men who were still squabbling over the most honored positions? He found away—he’d take a towel and fulfill the servants role—the lowest possible role in that gathering. See, God’s upside-down kingdom dynamic works precisely because those with increased capacity and power LEVERAGE IT to serve those with less power, seeking to elevate and lift up. In this way, rather than creating self-limiting, terminal power structures, they create ever-expanding, ever-improving, ever-more-capable social systems with immeasurable potential. Our broken human systems are designed specifically to limit and control—not to lift up and expand.