"3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him." (John 13:3-5 NIV)
Personally I don't like feet. Not even my own. I don't like supermodel feet. I don't like your feet, sorry but I don't. There are strange people in the world and none are stranger than those who have foot fetishes. Before you decry that this is an overreaction, let me pose this question to you. Would you go on the street and touch complete strangers feet? I thought so. Feet just have that connotation of being unclean. It was even more of a big deal in the day and age when Jesus washed His disciples feet.
It was common knowledge that only two people touched your feet: you yourself and if you were wealthy enough to afford it, your lowliest servant in the house. To request that someone wash your feet would have been a huge social fopaw and an insult of the highest degree. A king would never wash their own feet let alone that of their own servants.
Yet, this is exactly what the King of Glory, the Lord of Lord's did during this special dinner with His disciples. If you were to read further in the text you would see Peter balk at the idea of his Rabbi washing his feet. Jesus told him, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part of Me'. Peter relented. Jesus came to serve. Jesus came to cleanse and without His cleansing we will have no part in Him.
He served you and I by becoming a sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. And while He may have never washed our feet, He cleansed our souls with a substance infinitely more valuable than water: His own blood. Having been made clean He expects us to serve. Listen what He says of this event:
"12 When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, 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." (John 13:12-17 NIV)
Service is our duty. How can we say that we won't serve the world for Jesus when He withheld nothing to make us clean? I hope you would wash my feet. And as much as I hate feet, come by anytime and I'd be glad to wash yours in His Name.
In His Grip,
James
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