Love and leadership, John 13

In the ancient world, washing feet wasn’t a symbolic ceremony—it was a necessity. People wore sandals on dusty, manure-filled roads. It was a job reserved for the lowest servant or slave. To be honest, I’m not a fan of feet; if I had to do it, I’d want rubber gloves, a mask, and maybe a hazmat suit.

But Jesus didn’t use gloves.

In John 13, when Christ knelt to wash the disciples’ feet, he wasn’t just being “nice.” He was showing us what servant leadership actually looks like. Those feet were gnarly, calloused, and caked in the grime of the road. By taking the lowly position that nobody else would volunteer for, Jesus flipped the script on power. He led by example, proving that the greatest among us is the one who serves.

A New Standard

After drying those feet, Jesus gave us a new standard to live by:

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35

It’s easy to call ourselves Christians, but the real test isn’t what we say—it’s how we treat people. Jesus didn’t say the world would know us by our theology, our social media posts, or our political stances. He said they would know us by our love.

Love is a Choice, Not a Feeling

We often treat love like a fuzzy feeling, but in this context, love is a choice. It’s easy to love your friends and family—the people who “get” you. It is much harder to love the person you fundamentally disagree with, the one whose values clash with yours, or the one who lives a life you don’t understand.

That kind of love isn’t a “vibe”; it’s work. It’s a conscious decision to seek the good of another person, even when it sucks. It’s getting your hands dirty. Reading John 13 reminds me of that great song “They Will Know We are Christians By Our Love.” This fella’s version is awesome.