A basin of water and some dirty feet

The Passover feast was almost upon them when it happened.  It would be something that would completely catch the disciples off guard and teach them a valuable lesson that they would never forget.    Jesus gets up from the table that He had just been sitting at with His disciples.  All eyes are on Jesus, the disciples were probably thinking to themselves, “now what?”  Then a peculiar thing happens, Jesus takes off His outer garments, wraps a towel around his waist and pours water into a basin.  At this point the disciples had to have been inquisitively looking at Jesus and probably glancing at one another as if to say; “What is He up to here?”  After the water is brimming over the basin, Jesus scoops it up and moves back toward the table again.

As He approaches his students, those who had witnessed countless wonders and miracles, He kneels down in front of them.  How strange it must have been to have witnessed such a sight.  The same Jesus, who had calmed a storm, walked on water, raised the dead to life and healed the sick, was kneeling at the feet of his pupils.  The mighty teacher, God’s one and only Son who was present at the beginning of creation, was now kneeling in front of His creation.   It boggles the mind, blows the roof off of any teaching before or since.  Jesus, Messiah, Savior of the World, kneels and begins to wash the feet of His disciples.  I wonder how Judas must have felt when Jesus looked up into his eyes and proceeded to wash his feet despite what Jesus already knew would transpire?  The room is as silent as a tomb as the disciples struggle to find words in such a solemn moment.   All is silent that is until Jesus moves onto the next disciples’ feet which just so happens to be Peter’s.  The silence is broken with a protest like a stone to a window, as Peter questions Jesus.  “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”  Such an odd question to consider as Jesus kneels there in front of him with water at hand.  It’s a protest of sorts, there’s a hint of outrage in Peter’s voice which is inflected in his tone.  Then Jesus says to him, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” But Peter is sure he understands and he just can’t allow his Rabbi to touch his dirty feet and responds likewise, “you shall never wash my feet.”  It’s more than just honor or pride in his response; it is love and a deep profound respect for his Savior.  The very one that caught his hand as he was sinking in his failed attempt to walk on water was now desiring to apply water to feet.  This was the job of a servant and Peter considered this far beneath his Master.   Then Jesus looks Peter in the eye again and says to him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  Understanding still lagging, Peter says, “then Lord wash all of me…”  But Jesus tells him that he is already clean and proceeds to drive home his point as He tells them to be a leader they must first be servants and also wash each other’s feet.

In order to follow Christ we must first be servants.  Jesus laid down His life for us and He asks us to daily serve others with the same humility that He displayed for us in moments just like this one.  To wrap the towel around our waist and wash some dirty feet, without fanfare or notoriety but simply to serve and to display His godly love to those we encounter.  This is simply amazing!  “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” –Luke 13:16,17