Old Testament
Exodus 17:11-13
11 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset.
13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
New Testament
John 13:12-17
12 So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you.
16 Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
In Exodus 17, victory does not come through spectacle. It comes through shared endurance. Moses’ hands grow heavy, and Aaron and Hur hold them up, one on each side. Leadership is not solitary strength; it is supported faithfulness.
In John 13, Jesus rises from the table, takes a towel, and washes feet. Then he asks the disciples whether they understand what he has done. He has given them a pattern: if the Lord and Teacher serves, then those who follow him must learn to serve too.
Serving together is one of the Church’s quiet gifts to public life. It refuses the lone-hero story. It honours bodies and limits. In Christ, nobody is merely an extra. We need each other. It recognises that good work often requires unseen support: the person making tea, covering a shift, checking in, carrying the paperwork, cleaning up afterwards.
Lord Jesus, teach us to serve with one another rather than over one another. Deliver us from competition and pride. Make us glad to hold up tired hands, and humble enough to let our own weakness be carried. Let our shared service become a sign of your Kingdom: a household where love is practical and joy is shared.