John 13:1-20
“He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
John 13:4-5;14
What is servanthood? In today’s society, it is not something often aspired to. To understand servanthood, you must define service.
Service – an act of helpful activity. Provide a particular thing that people need.
This definition doesn’t make it seem so bad. Most people don’t have a problem with being helpful. Far too often we want to be helpful but are too busy with life or we have more important things to do. The disciples probably thought that they had more important things to do too. They had been given authority to cast out demons, cure diseases and heal the sick. Who had time to wash feet? But Jesus slowed down, noticed the need, and washed the disciples' feet.
There were many types of foot washing and different people who did it during Jesus’ time on earth. The priests were instructed to wash their feet and hands before approaching the altar “so that they would not die.” (Exodus 30: 17-21) In some homes, water was provided for guest to wash their own feet. (Luke 7:44) Other homes had a servant who would wash guests’ feet. However you look at it, foot washing was a dirty and humbling task. Feet would get dirty from walking on dirt roads while wearing sandals.
Jesus removed his outer garments, put on the towel, poured the water and then washed their feet. Jesus could have just provided water and talked about washing each other’s feet. He could have asked the disciples to do some of it, maybe pour the water or wash their own feet, but He did it all himself (grace). John 13:1 states that Jesus loved the disciples. Jesus is love and showed love. Part of that love was being a servant. (Mark 10:45) Love adds dignity to any service.
Jesus took on the role of a servant by washing the disciple’s feet. Being a servant is the opposite of pride. Pride is one of satan’s most used distractions. In Genesis 3:4 satan tells Eve she will be “like God.” The disciples were arguing in the upper room about who was the greatest. (Luke 22:24) But Jesus, “who being in the very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus came as a servant and he wanted the disciples and us to be like Him.
The disciples called Jesus 'teacher' (rabbi). In Jesus’ time, when you followed a rabbi, you didn’t just want to know what he knows, you wanted to be just like him. You want to do what he does. (Kristi McLelland) Jesus wants us to be like Him. (Eph 5:1-2) He taught through example. Just in case they were wondering if they should be like Him in this example, He told them to “go and wash one another’s feet.” He wasn’t just talking about washing feet. He wanted them, and He wants us, to serve others by providing whatever they need.
If He, their Lord (kupioc – supreme in authority) was not above washing their feet. then they (we) are not above washing one another’s feet. As Matthew Henry pointed out in his commentary, ”there is nothing below us but sin. We all need our feet washed from time to time to get the world’s way off of us.”
“It is easy for us to criticize those with dirty feet instead of washing them. That is the world’s way. Christ’s way is very different. He says nothing, but takes the basin and begins to wash away the stain. Do not judge and condemn, but seek the restoration and the improvement of the erring.” (Spurgeon)
The Hebrew word for servant, eber, denotes “God-given authority as the accredited messenger of the Lord.” As Christians, we have been commanded to be messengers. Christ set the example by showing love. Foot washing is not a practice in our culture today but we can still serve (be helpful to) one another in love. 1 Peter 4:10 explains, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
It is easy to “know what he knows” but much harder to do as he did. As pointed out in Smith’s commentary, Christians may pick up some defilement just from the contact of walking through the world. But that defilement is only surface level. As a part of the Church, we feel the cleansing of God’s Word as we gather together in community. And once we have been cleansed by God, we can serve others.
My prayer for everyone reading this (and for myself) is that we will let God break the slavery of pride and we will become servants of Him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. (Matt 28:30) God honors those who serve. (John 12:26)
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