When asked, "What would you do if you knew it was your last day?" The response around the table was universal and surprisingly simple. The answer was, "I would spend time with my family." In this way it is easy to relate with where we find Jesus during his last days on earth. He has arranged to have a meal with the ones that He is closest to. That meal has become famous and we know it as ,"the last supper."While it is not surprising where we find Jesus, it is amazing to learn what He is doing. John 13:4-5 says, "So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples feet, drying them with the towel he had around him." -What? Wait up...this is his last chance to..preach one more sermon, eat and drink to escape the the pain of the betrayal he know is coming, reveal the future, reminisce. When I get together with people that I know I have to say good-bye to for a long time I love to revisit the highlights of our time together. Jesus had amazing events that they could have reflected on. He could have said, "remember when I filled your boats so full of fish that they nearly sunk? or remember how I made lunch for the crowd of people with baskets left over?" No, instead of an ego inflating trip down memory lane Jesus gets down and starts to wash their feet.
Why did He do this? Actually, it suits his style perfectly. He was both a story teller, and an example setter. All through out his ministry He teaches through stories. He has one last chance, one last thing to cross off His bucket list and He gives one final object lesson. The meaning of it unfolds during his conversation with Peter.(John 13:6-17) At first Peter refuses to let Jesus do this servants job of washing his feet. To this Jesus replies, " unless I wash you, you won't belong to me." In this phrase the conversation turns from physical to spiritual. Jesus is no longer talking about the need for mud to be washed from feet. He is talking about the need to be forgiven through Jesus' act of love on the cross. If there was only one thing I could say to those I love this would be the message. Receive the gift of forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Only He can make our soul clean and ready to meet with God. Jesus continues on with the application, "You ought to wash each others feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you...God will bless you for doing this." The first picture is vertical...between us and God. We must be made clean. The second picture is horizontal, between us and the people in our lives. We are to offer service to others as the obvious application. Then we are to extend forgiveness to others just as Jesus, our example, has extended forgiveness to us.
The picture of washing feet was so powerful in Jesus' culture because it was something that was done over and over again. These men would think of this lesson whenever they entered a home and the servant washed the dirt off of their feet.In modern times this would be like removing your shoes at the door. My friend Carinn tells a charming story of her Grandfather. In his home you walked into the door and removed your shoes by his desk. As a child she remembers him sneaking candy into their shoes to be discovered when it was time to go home. God promises to do this for us too. Serve others, offer forgiveness and you may just find candy in your shoes.
"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
