Weeds of Pride (John 13:1-17)

Sometimes feeling pride is a good thing. Authentic pride, experienced in response to a specific event or accomplishment, or felt towards a person or a group that we care about, can lead us to feeling more confident and fulfilled. Feeling pride inspires us to do and be our best. Being proud though, is often where we run into trouble. Being proud leads us to have an inflated self-image. Being proud is a symptom of self-centeredness. And this kind of pride is sneaky. It grows up like weeds, and takes over, controlling our thoughts and our actions, our relationships, and how we navigate our place in the world. It shows up in ways we don’t expect, or in ways that we wouldn’t even think to identify as pride. In our passage this week, Peter’s pride sprouts up while Jesus displays his humility by washing the disciples’ feet. Join us as we reflect on what we can learn about letting go of our pride by accepting the grace of Jesus, and following in his footsteps.