Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5).
The Kingdom of God is like a college student whose frustration with the dorm’s housekeeping was reaching an apex; the dorm was quickly becoming an eyesore. The carpets were not being vacuumed. The stairwell had not been mopped since the infamous Coke spill; the area was still grabbing your shoes as you walked by. The blinds and curtains hanging in the lobby were torn and tattered from the roughhousing. The bathrooms and community showers were marked by so much mold and mildew that the biology majors were excited about the possibility of gathering daily active, cultures.
The student had hopelessly complained to his Resident Assistant. Either the R.A. was not doing his job or the filed complaint got lost in the bureaucratic red tape of the university. With no relief in sight, he took matters into his own hands by setting a meeting with the university president. With respect in his demeanor and passion in his presentation, he filed the complaint: carpets, stairwell, curtains, bathrooms, etc. The president listened like the student was a wealthy donor, and having clearly understood the deteriorating conditions, promised that he would ensure the student’s living conditions would measure up to the university’s standard.
Sure enough, the president was good to his word, as a beautication project wasa underway with the dorm. No one actually saw the changes being made, but they saw the difference. The blinds and curtains were cleaned, repaired, and some were even replaced. The stairwell was mopped and the Coke spill vanished. The carpets were regularly vacuumed. And since the bathrooms were cleaned, residences no longer saw the wide-eyed biology students.
Yes, for the rest of the semester, the dorm was clean. The student was satisfied and the former dilemma was distant dream, until one early morning. With finals behind him, he woke long before dawn for his drive home. As he walked into the bathroom, he saw a mop, bucket, and cleaning supplies. More so, he saw the university president wearing jeans and rubber gloves, bending over the commode to clean it.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(only God is glorified!)