I live in San Francisco, among some of the most powerful in the world. My neighbors are designing your iPhone. That dad at the playground is a world-renowned venture capitalist. The woman next to me in this coffee shop is a VP of an investment bank.
Most come to San Francisco today because it’s a place of innovation and opportunity. From the young software developer to the hipsters and hippies, if you ask whether they’re optimistic about their future the resounding answer in San Francisco is, “Of course!”
And yet I live in a city with incredible poverty. Just walk through the Tenderloin District or Bayview-Hunter’s Point and see the vast numbers of homeless persons, the concentration of poor black families, and the lack of access to basic needs like a grocery store. Many in my city see the mansions in Pacific Heights or the constant traffic at the Apple Store and can do little more than beg for money. They know they have no power.
San Francisco is just one example of a story unfolding in America. In the last few years, we’ve seen increased tension over race-related violence, protest of the “99 percent,” and two populist presidential candidates who’ve received a surprising amount of support. We’ve seen the sharp divide on how to view policing efforts, income inequality, and immigration.
I’m a pastor. What am I supposed to do? Pick a side? The issues are so complicated, the political narratives so lacking. But of course they’re lacking. Where’s Jesus in all these discussions of power?
Playing God
In his 2013 book, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, Andy Crouch explores the nuances of John 13 in a helpful chapter titled “Jesus, Power, and Privilege.” He recalls Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, noting how in that moment Jesus doesn’t give up power; he redefines it. The apostle John writes:
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 disciples knew about Jesus’s immense power. After all, they’d seen him perform miracles and confound the teachers of the law. Yet in this moment, Jesus takes on the role of servant. And he doesn’t relinquish his power, but exercises it in an unexpected way.
After washing their feet, Jesus says, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am” (John 13:12–13). This is no false humility. Even in this moment of service, both Jesus and the disciples are fully aware of his power.
Secure and Free
By recalling this occasion, Crouch reminds us that, like Jesus, we shouldn’t relinquish our power but follow our Savior’s example by redefining it, as he commands us to in John 13: “If I, 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” (John 13:14–15).
Much of the rest of Playing God explores exactly how to redefine power. But what did it mean for Jesus to give up the privilege that came with his power in the first place? Crouch notes how drastic this move was for the most prominent person in the room to willingly wash the feet of everyone else. How indicative of Jesus’s condescension; what a clear illustration of his incarnation. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45).
To be clear, Jesus’s humiliation was a unique theological and historical event. He is God, and he willingly left the glory of heaven to take on flesh. He achieved salvation by bearing our sin on the cross in a unique historical moment. So, as much as we want to be Christlike, we cannot repeat his condescension.
Nevertheless, Jesus shattered the social order by embracing the role of a servant. Because he knew his powerful place with God the Father and God the Spirit was secure, he was free to show his disciples how it looks to serve others.
What About Us?
What if, like Jesus, the security of heaven gave us the freedom to hold our power with an open hand? What if being a child of God meant we could slay the idol of self by turning upside-down our culture’s notion of prestige? God demands our exclusive devotion to him, so finding comfort in our status—however well-earned—is dangerous. In fact, protecting and enforcing our status at the expense of others reveals idolatry.
Crouch concludes the discussion by noting that power should be used by Christians to restore and cultivate God’s creation. So I think of Christians at Pixar who can’t help but embed redemptive themes into their storyboards. I think of a Christian architect who wants to design safe and efficient hospitals because it will help save lives. I think of two teachers who care deeply for their students because they recognize the image of God in them. I think of my own experiences on Mondays at a local rescue mission where I’ve found that looking people in the eye, giving out hugs, and calling my homeless friends “sir” radically redefines status. I think of the countless pastors I know who use their power to consistently shepherd and serve people—without the expectation of applause and adulation.
When Jesus washed feet, he made it clear that the gospel transforms how we use power in this broken world. Rather than lording it over the less powerful, we lay down our own egos and demands so that others may know him and be restored to God.
Editors’ note: Andy Crouch will explore this topic in the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday. The Avodah Project, a faith-and-work ministry of Solano Community Church, is hosting a free lecture this Saturday, May 14, on the topic of “Jesus, Power, and Privilege.” This lecture is aimed at those who are exploring Christianity and would be a perfect opportunity to invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Tickets are free, but there are a limited number of seats. Reserve your spot.
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
