Demonstrate Like Jesus

If you went on a YouthWorks trip this summer, you heard all about how Jesus demonstrated how to live, love and serve. At home, we hope you’ll keep thinking about ways you can live like Jesus every day! That’s why, each Thursday for 5 weeks, we’ll post a new reflection helping you apply the same ideas you heard on your mission trip to your everyday life back home.

When I stopped by Tina’s house to hang out with her brother, Tina was going on and on about her not-so-secret crush on Matt. My immediate thought was “Poor Matt!” As their youth leader, I’d known both of them for several years – enough to know that Matt was a fairly popular athlete and Tina… well… in her senior year of high school she didn’t seem to have outgrown any of her junior high awkwardness. She certainly didn’t run with the same crowd as Matt. As she described in detail about how “Matt is sooo nice and his locker is next to mine and…” I wondered how she talked about him at school, especially if this was how she talked about him at home! Needless to say, I felt increasingly sorry for Matt.

 

So like any good youth leader, I thought I’d sympathize with Matt about this obviously unfortunate situation. That next Wednesday night I waved Matt over after youth group and said with a knowing smirk, “Hey I was talking to Tina the other day. She mentioned that she has a locker next to yours?” I gave Matt a look that invited him to identify Tina as a problem.

 

Let me point out here that Matt is a pretty smart guy. I am certain he could read between the lines of my comment:

 

“Tina is talking about you a lot. I know she has a crush on you. That must be embarrassing!”

 

I expected Matt to give me a groan at the mention of Tina, but that’s not what Matt did. Instead, he gave me this grin and said, “Oh yeah. Tina is a great. We’re friends.”

 

The authenticity of Matt’s response put me to shame a little. I realized that I had gone into this conversation looking to build camaraderie with Matt at Tina’s expense. What I got was Matt’s natural, loving response. He saw the good things about Tina and, therefore, had only good things to say. And it’s not just Tina; it’s everyone! Matt doesn’t seem to see people as social statuses or even awkward encounters. He sees their value and worth. As his youth leader, I realized I have things to learn from Matt.

 

When I see how Matt reaches out and loves others, I see a picture of how Jesus loves others. At the beginning of these readings, you looked up a passage about how Jesus gave his disciples a picture of humble service. Jesus demonstrated his love for others so his disciples could follow his example. In the last few pages I’ve reminded you a few times of what Jesus said to his followers:

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)

I want you to read that quote in the context of its story one more time. As you read, consider that this is the last time Jesus will be around his disciples before he is arrested, killed and resurrected – and Jesus knows it. Jesus’ physical ministry on earth is coming to a close. Think about what Jesus’ big purpose is in setting this example with his disciples.

 Read John 13:1–17.

“… do as I have done for you.” Jesus is very clearly asking his disciples to go beyond believing and even beyond just talking about their beliefs. Jesus is telling them to make what they believe change the way they live. But there’s more.

 

Through washing their feet, Jesus is also commissioning his disciples for what comes next. Soon, Jesus will no longer be physically present on earth. During Jesus’ ministry, people from all over would come and see the love and truth and service of Jesus in person, but when Jesus is no longer physically present, how will they know what Jesus looks like?

 

The answer, of course, is through Jesus’ followers. In fact, these guys whose feet Jesus washed and whom Jesus asked to go and “do as I have done for you” – they are the reason we know about Jesus today! They told others, they wrote books, and they loved and served people. They didn’t always do it perfectly, but they gave their lives to demonstrating to others what Jesus had demonstrated to them. People saw what Jesus is like through them.

 

Today, those disciples aren’t around anymore, so we can’t see Jesus through them anymore. So where do we see Jesus? Well, in the last few pages I’ve shared a few stories about people who I have seen Jesus through: People like my piano teacher, Eleanor Froehlick, whose patience and encouragement let me better understand how Jesus is patiently present in my life. People like Mark Yaconelli, who reached out to me with Jesus’ compassion. People like my basketball coach Gregg, who let go of something he cared about to better show his family Jesus’ love. People like Matt from my youth group, who demonstrated how Jesus sees the value and worth of others. I hope there are people in your life, too, who have really demonstrated what the love of Jesus looks like.

 

So where do we see Jesus? The answer is the same today as it was nearly 2,000 years ago:

We see Jesus in his followers

when they demonstrate lives

that are lived like Jesus.

Of course, that means that if you are a follower of Jesus, then others’ best shot of seeing what Jesus looks like is through you! How you reach out, how you step in, how you let go, how you demonstrate love and service – that’s how people see Jesus!

 

That scares me a little, because I know that I mess up. I don’t love people as well as I should. I am sometimes unkind. I am often impatient. But somehow, Jesus chose to use me to show himself to the world. And if you are a follower of Jesus, he chose you too!

Take some time to let that soak in. Consider what that means for the way you live. Think about what might need to change. Ask yourself what kind of demonstration you’ve been to the people around you. Celebrate the ways you have been able to demonstrate Jesus’ love well.

 

You are a demo of Jesus. As you show others who Jesus is, keep looking to Jesus for the best Demo there has ever been of how to live well. Seek to know Jesus better as you reach out, step in, let go, demonstrate and live like Jesus.

CONSIDER…

How does the idea that people can see Jesus through the way you live make you feel? What are some reasons you feel that way?

How have you done a good job at demonstrating Jesus’ love to others?

What are some ways you can get better at demonstrating Jesus’ love to others?

What are some tangible steps you can take this week to get better at those things?

Ask Jesus for the opportunities, wisdom and grace to be a demonstration of his love for others. Pray for a few specific people you desire Jesus to use you to love and serve.

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Sam Townsend helps write training, programming and marketing materials for YouthWorks mission trips. When he isn’t hanging around teenagers at church or digging into seminary homework, he is generally looking for a good conversation and a hole-in-the-wall restaurant to have it in. Sam still considers his first couple summers working for YouthWorks in Virginia and Pennsylvania communities some of the most transformative times of his life.