Being a Man to the Glory of God

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-5

When you hear the word “manly” what comes to mind? We tend to use terms like; tough, outdoorsman, football player, farmer, hard worker, sweaty, athlete, jack of all trades, or muscular. This is a very superficial defining of this word. I would like to dig a little deeper. There has to be a better more biblical definition of this term, right?

This is what brings me to John 13. I would argue that in verse four and five Jesus’ actions are illustrating exactly what we, as men, should strive to be. I realize I may be losing some of you here. I realize that, on the surface, washing another man’s feet is not manly—at least as it is defined by the world. Please don’t let this superficial thought poison your biblical view of manliness.

Washing people’s feet was typically a task for non-Jewish slaves. This was lowly work. This is why these verses are so powerful. The Leader of all leaders humbled Himself to the point of a foot washer. Think about that for a second. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Savior of sinners got down on His knees and washed the dirty, nasty, blister infested feet of the disciples. We also must not neglect the truth that Jesus washed the feet of Judas Iscariot. Jesus was well aware of Judas’ plan to turn Him over to the authorities. So we have our King, our Savior willingly washing the feet of His best friends as well as His enemy—the one who would ultimately betray Him.  

Why would He do this? They should be washing His feet right? Jesus explains His actions in verses 13-16.

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:13-16

He did this to show that being a leader/man is so much more than being a jack of all trades, a football player, tough, or any other adjective you can think of. These verses show us we are to be servant leaders. Are you a servant leader at your office? Are you willing to get your hands dirty? Are you a servant leader at your home? Are you loving and helping your wife and children glorify God? Or are you barking out orders like a dictator? Are you a servant leader in the community and in the church? Do people in your community know without a doubt you are saturated with the gospel because of your words and your actions? This is what we are called to be. This is not easy, but it is a must. We cannot continue to allow this fallen world and its influences to define us.

I encourage all of you to be the man you are called to be. Quit looking at athletes, actors, politicians and all the other fallen men of this world and start looking at Christ as the one to imitate. Earlier I defined “manly” in very superficial terms. I now want to define it biblically by looking to Jesus. Jesus willingly gave His life, He then forgave those who put Him on the cross. He faced temptation—directly from the devil—without fear but instead with trust in God. This same Jesus told the disciples to allow the children to come and hear His teaching. This same Jesus cried with friends when Lazarus died. This same Jesus cared for the sick and the hungry. This same Jesus prayed to God with tears in His eyes at Gethsemane. This same Jesus turned the other cheek. This same manly Jesus washed the feet of the man that would betray Him.

Do you get the picture? Jesus embodied all the attributes we as men should want to be defined by. He was tough, sacrificial, loving, forgiving, and caring. He wasn’t consumed with worldly desires. He wasn’t worried about what others might think. He wasn’t worried about impressing His peers. He didn’t spend His time trying to climb the career ladder. He had one motivation, one mission and that was to glorify the creator of the universe—our God.

Men we must stand up and fight for our families, communities, churches, and world. This is not a fight that will be won by climbing the career ladder or by our bank account. This fight will be won by showing our families the gospel through our words and our actions. This fight will be won by being a part of the community around us. This is more than just going to the grocery store. We need to Interact with our neighbors, pray for our neighbors and most importantly share the gospel with our neighbors. Ultimately the fight cannot be won apart from God. He is our treasure and our motivator. We are intentional about sharing the gospel because we want to see souls saved and Him glorified. 

We are defined by the Word. Our identity is wrapped up in our Savior. We are good husbands to the glory of God. We are good dads to the glory of God. We are good children to the glory of God. We are good coworkers to the glory of God. We are good neighbors to the glory of God. He is our motivation. Our goal is not to be manly apart from God. Our goal is to be manly to the glory of God.