“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17).”
OUR MAYAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS
It has been about ten days since we came back from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The memories of each day that we spent in this Mayan village with our brothers and sisters continue to pour in my head. I was blessed to have the privilege to talk with our brothers and sisters in this village. These brothers have Mayan as their primary language and Spanish is their second language. So, they spoke Mayan among themselves and when they talk to me, they spoke Spanish with and “accent”.
HOW OUR MAYAN BROTHERS WERE AMAZED
The Yucatan Peninsula is known as a place where tourists from all over the world come to relax and visit the beaches and archeological sites. I grew up seeing tourists getting on tour buses walking on the streets and eating in nice restaurants. That is pretty much the idea that the locals have of the tourists that come to our city.
Just imagine the amazement of our brothers and sisters in the Mayan village of Texan as they witnessed something that they never seen before. They witnessed the members of the church from Beltline working for many hours for several days under the heat. The saw how they (Americans) got dirty, how they sweat, how they climb ladders etc. These Americans that suppose to be spending their money in a Mexican resort have come to their village to work. They have never seen this happen before. Several times they asked me “why?” “Why have they chosen us to build these classrooms here in our congregation?”. One of the oldest brothers who was about eighty-three years said, “this is a blessing from God and God is teaching us to do the same”.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
The members of the church from Beltline did what they did in Mexico because they have learned it from Jesus. As members of Church of Christ, we want to practice what we have learned from our Savior. Jesus washed the dirty feet of his disciples. He was God, He was all powerful yet, humbled himself. The brothers in the Mayan village of Texan witnessed an American Doctor, several American engineers, some young professionals serve in their village. These Americans did not have to do it, but they did it. They did it because that is what our Savior Jesus Christ has taught us.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
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