Daily Devotion for Wednesday 9th April 2025

St Luke 22: 24 – 29
 

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.  But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials;  and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom,  so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Reflection
 

Recently I led a Lenten day retreat in Nairn URC.  26 people turned up to talk about Jesus!  More specifically how Jesus has been portrayed in four pieces of art.  Fascinated by a Coptic presentation of Jesus as Good Shepherd, mostly annoyed by a Filipino portrayal of an angry Jesus, generally delighted by Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross, the piece that provoked the most energy – and examination –  was Sieger Köder’s The Washing of the Feet which is reproduced at the top of today’s Devotion.  At the Last Supper Jesus enfleshed what he spelt out to His disciples in today’s passage – servant leadership.  He didn’t decry leadership – those squabbling disciples were, after all, promised a kingdom and thrones.  Leadership, however, was to be different in the Kingdom.  No lording it over others, no being served but serving.  It’s why some traditions have foot washing on Maundy Thursday where the person nominally in charge washes feet; most famously Pope Francis has, in previous years, gone to Rome’s prison to wash the feet of prisoners.  Some black-led churches in America hold that when Jesus said “do this in memory of me” he also meant foot washing and, in those traditions, Communion is only celebrated in the context of the washing of each other’s feet.  

Now I’m not suggesting that as a change in our Communion rites but I wonder how different our world might be if we really expected our leaders, in church and state, to be servants.  What if we really expected there to be no freebies, just the pay allotted for the job?  What if we really expected simple, trustworthy leadership which was not ashamed to show service?  One of the things that attracted me to the URC in the first place was a distinct lack of clericalism; those newly ordained or newly inducted expecting to be in charge soon find that their ideas are firmly put in their place!  Conciliar leadership does rather help in keeping us humble.