As I sit with the scene of the Last Supper, I find myself drawn into a moment so rich, so layered with meaning, that it feels like a tapestry woven with threads of humility, sacrifice, and love. This was no ordinary meal. It was Passover, a time when the Jewish people gathered to remember—to taste and see the story of their liberation from slavery, to let the bitter herbs and unleavened bread stir their souls. The air was thick with history, with hope, with the promise of God’s faithfulness. And there, in an upper room, Jesus and his disciples sat together, sharing this sacred meal.
Can you picture it? The flickering lamplight, the low hum of conversation, the weight of expectation. The disciples had walked with Jesus, seen his miracles, heard his teachings. They must have wondered what was next. A bold move against the Roman oppressors? The unveiling of a new kingdom? Their hearts were likely racing with possibility.
But then, Jesus does something utterly unexpected. He rises from the table, removes his outer robe, ties a towel around his waist, and kneels with a basin of water. One by one, he begins to wash their feet.
Pause for a moment and let that image settle in your heart. Foot washing was the work of servants, a gritty, humbling task reserved for the lowest in society. Yet here is Jesus—their teacher, their Lord, the one they dared to call Messiah—kneeling before them, tending to their dusty, calloused feet. The room must have grown quiet, the air heavy with astonishment. Peter’s protest echoes what many of us might feel: “No, Lord, not my feet. This isn’t right.” We cling to our hierarchies, our sense of who should serve and who should be served. But Jesus, in this tender, radical act, dismantles those assumptions. He shows us a different kind of power—one that kneels, that serves, that loves without counting the cost.
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asks. “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example.” This isn’t just about feet, is it? It’s about a posture of the heart. It’s about seeing the dignity in every person, no matter how worn or weary their journey. It’s about meeting others in their vulnerability, their mess, their humanity—and serving them there.
As the meal continues, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Jesus takes bread, breaks it, and says, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” He lifts a cup of wine: “This is the new covenant in my blood.” Simple elements—bread and wine—become symbols of a love so profound it would soon be poured out on a cross. This act of remembrance isn’t just a backward glance at history. It’s an invitation to participate, to let this love shape us, to let it break us open and make us whole.
What strikes me most is the intimacy of this moment. Jesus knows what lies ahead—the betrayal, the suffering, the weight of the cross. Yet he chooses this meal, this shared table, to reveal the heart of his mission. He’s saying, “This is who I am. This is what love looks like. Even when the world feels like it’s crumbling, this is the way.” It’s a love that gets down low, that breaks itself open, that says a resounding “yes” to humanity, even in its brokenness.
As I reflect on this unfolding meal, I find myself asking: Where is the sacred hiding in the ordinary moments of my life? Where am I being called to kneel, to serve, to wash the dusty feet of those around me? It might be in the small acts—a listening ear, a shared meal, a moment of grace extended to someone who feels unworthy. It might be in the courage to love without expecting anything in return.
The bread, the wine, the water on weary feet—they point us to a love that transforms. They invite us to remember, not just a meal long ago, but a way of being that can change how we move through the world. So, as you ponder this scene, consider: Where are the dusty feet in your life? How might you embody this humble, sacrificial love? And how can you say your own “yes” to the call to serve, to remember, to love?
Thank you for joining me in these reflections. May we carry this sacred meal with us, letting it shape our hearts and our hands as we walk this journey together.
Grace & Shalom,
-Pastor Scott
Pastor's Ponderings 
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