Devotionals for the Heart: When you are called to serve your enemies

Serving Judas
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” 

–Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

How did Jesus manage to not only eat supper with the man who would betray Him, but also kneel down and wash his feet?

I have heard people marvel about how Jesus ate supper with Judas, but Judas was still there when Jesus performed the servant’s task of washing his disciple’s feet. Jesus was all-powerful, but He was also completely human. How could Jesus so humbly kneel before Judas and wash his feet, knowing that he planned to betray Him that very night?

I think we can all agree that there are some people we do not necessarily get along with in our daily lives. There are some people who are rude and some that drive us crazy. There are certain people we always avoid when we see them in the grocery store. These people do not hate us or persecute us, and yet, we do not treat them half as well as Jesus treated Judas. Why is that? What mindset was Jesus in as He served Judas? What are we missing?

Thankfully, the apostle John explains exactly what Jesus’s mindset was in this moment. “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God” (John 13:3 KJV). Simply put—Jesus knew what He had, where He was from, and where He was going.

So, what do we have as Christians? We have forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). We have an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). We have the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). We have God’s love (Ephesians 2:4). The list goes on. Because of Jesus, we are now adopted by God and enjoy countless blessings as His children.

Where are we from? Though we all have different stories, there is really only one place we are from. We are from a life of sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (KJV). We fall short. We are human and we are broken because of sin. We must know accurately who we are if we are to serve as Jesus did. We must acknowledge who we used to be and praise God for interceding and making us new.

Lastly, where are we going? As children of God who have accepted the free gift of salvation from Jesus, we are all going to the same place (Heaven). Each of us will spend an eternity with Jesus, which is the greatest and most beautiful hope that we have here on earth. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, we are traveling upward the whole way. Heaven is our final destination.

Once you know what you have, where you are from, and where you are going, you can find true humility. I think humility is best described in this quote by C.S. Lewis: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” Once you know who you are, you no longer need to think of other people’s opinions, how you appear, or how you want your life to turn out. You can stop thinking about yourself altogether.

Our confidence comes from who we are in Jesus Christ. We are given everything in Him. We were saved by Him. We will spend eternity with Him. Christ is who we should be centered on. Simply know, dear reader, who you are in Him.

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your servant’s heart and example of true humility. Please help us to remember who we are in You so that we can live out each day as Your faithful servants. Grant us the humility to kneel before the Judas in our own lives and serve them as You would so that Your goodness and mercy is revealed through us. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Remember Who You Are” (song) by Crystal Lewis. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five. 

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227