Are you as perplexed by Jesus’ actions as his disciples were? The foot washing ritual was regularly done by slaves, certainly not by the Messiah himself. But Jesus didn’t want to waste this opportunity, another teachable moment. Jesus knew his time had come; it was the moment he had anticipated his whole ministry. His disciples hadn’t quite grasped what that meant.
Jesus chose to care for and serve his closest followers with the time he had left. That speaks volumes to me about how much Jesus loves his chosen ones. There would be no slipping away this time. Jesus’ time had come, and the lesson on being a servant leader was left to last.
This is one of the texts that came up recently in our discussion about Peter in our youth group. We see that Peter has a particularly hard time with having Jesus wash his feet. And then, in perfect Peter style, he overreaches and asks Jesus to wash his whole body. Peter missed the point. It wasn’t about what Peter was receiving; it was how Jesus wanted Peter to care for others.
In an orphanage full of girls, you can imagine there are lots of opportunities to serve one another. One of the least desired chores in that home is washing dishes. For twenty-plus people, they are washing all dishes by hand in a regular kitchen sink for three meals a day! When the girls heard that they could think of those dishes in terms of serving each other, it didn’t seem to be so bad.
When we are faced with tasks we don’t care for that bring honor or help others in some way, that’s servanthood. Even better when we can personally touch another, just as if we were the hands and feet of Jesus. How might you be a better servant this week? It’s not so much about the act itself but the heart behind it.
Jesus couldn’t be any clearer in his reasoning. He said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” It doesn’t have to be washing another person’s feet. That’s a good thing because we don’t find ourselves doing that task much in our day. What act of servanthood do you think is appropriate in your situation?
Jesus is also very crafty here to share that not all the disciples are clean. I wouldn’t be surprised if that message went over their heads at this point. Of course, John connects the dots and reveals that Jesus knew Judas was the one. I wonder how that felt to be washing the feet of the one you knew would betray you. What was it like for Judas?
Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have you wash my dirty and tired feet. Your act of caring was profound and encouraging. Help me to look outside of my comfort zone to find people in need of a touch from the Servant King. Use me to help them be ready to meet you face-to-face. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
