##DailyDevotion Why Does Jesus Wash The Disciples Feet?

John 13: Before the Passover Festival Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had loved His own who were in the world, and now He loved them to the end. ²It was during the supper. The devil had already put the idea of betraying Jesus into the mind of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ³Jesus knew the Father put everything in His hands and He had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴So Jesus rose from supper, laid aside His outer garment, took a towel, and tied it around Him. ⁵Then He poured water into a basin and started to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel that was tied around Him. ⁶And so He came to Simon Peter. “Lord,” Peter asked Him, “are You going to wash my feet?” ⁷“You don’t know now what I’m doing,” Jesus answered him. “But later you will understand.” ⁸“No!” Peter told Him. “You’ll never wash my feet.” “If I don’t wash you,” Jesus answered him, “you have no share in Me.” ⁹“Lord,” Simon Peter told Him, “not only my feet but also my hands and my head.” ¹⁰“Anyone who has bathed needs only to have his feet washed,” Jesus told him. “He’s clean all over. You’re clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹He knew who was betraying Him. That’s why He said, “Not all of you are clean.” ¹²After He had washed their feet and put on His garment, He lay down again. “Do you know what I’ve done to you?” He asked them. ¹³“You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and you’re right because I am that. ¹⁴Now if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you, too, should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I’ve given you an example so that you will do as I did to you…³⁴“I’m giving you a new commandment: Love one another! Love one another as I have loved you. ³⁵By your loving one another everyone will know you’re My disciples.”

Verses 1 and 3 are rather key to this section of the reading. He loved his own who were in the world. That would give meaning to what would follow. He knew everything was put in his hands and he had come from God and was going back to God shows his exalted status. Jesus is God, the God of Israel in the flesh. The example he gives us to follow then flows from these two things. What do I mean? What does Jesus do? He washes his disciples stinky feet. He takes on the form of servant, though he is their Lord, Master, and Teacher. They should be fighting one another to wash Jesus’ feet. Jesus loves them so much, even Judas, he would humble himself to be their foot washer. Well Peter would have none of that. Jesus corrects Peter and lets him know if he doesn’t wash his feet he has no part in Jesus. Some congregations still practice this and that is fine that they do. It is also fine if they do not, if its members learn the lesson from Jesus and put it into practice.

What does that look like and what kind of spirit is that? Jesus tells us, “If I am your LORD and Teacher and I do this for you then you should do the same for one another. Jesus is calling us to love our fellow Christians in this matter. We should be willing to look past whatever status we may have and humble ourselves so we may serve one another as Jesus has served us. St. Paul understood this when he wrote in Rom. 12:3 “I tell you, don’t think too highly of yourselves, but take a sane view of yourselves, everyone according to the measure of faith God gave you.” In Phil. 2 Paul writes, “³Don’t be selfish or proud, but humbly treat others as better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you, don’t be interested in your own things, rather in the things of others.” Peter no doubt remembers this when he writes in 1 Peter 5:5, “All of you, be clothed with humility before one another because God opposes the proud but is gracious to the humble.”

Dearest Jesus, give us humble hearts to follow in your example of humility, love and service to our fellow Christians. In your precious name we pray. Amen.