Demonstration of Servanthood
In the days when Jesus walked the earth, there
were no good roads in Palestine
So people normally would keep water pots at
the door of the house. A servant would be there to see that feet were washed
before the guests enter the house. Evidently for Jesus and his disciples there
were no servants in attendance, so none had their feet washed before entering
the room to have their meal. Nor was there anyone among the disciples humble
enough to take on the role of servant.
Picture this group - Jesus and his
disciples arrive at the house and make their way to the Upper Room - sparsely
furnished, but ready. See Jesus and his disciples sitting on the low meal table
reclining on cushions on the floor, their feet still dirty. There is no servant
to attend to them. No one seems humble enough to start the proceedings - feet
washing. It is too menial a task.
Suddenly Jesus stands up. All eyes turn to
him. He takes off his outer garment, puts on an apron, picks up the basin,
pours water into it and moves toward the nearest disciple. He kneels down and
starts to wash the disciples' feet. Then he takes towel and wipes the feet of
the disciple. He is doing something no one else has thought of doing. There is
complete silence in the room and you can hear a pin drop. All are too
embarrassed to speak or do anything. He comes round to Peter. The silence is
broken, "You mean you want to wash my feet? No, you can't do this. "
Gently Jesus responds, "You do not
realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." He adds, "Unless I wash you, you have no part of me."
Peter is shocked and embarrassed that the
Master should condescend to what he and his fellow disciples have failed to do.
Well meaning Peter cannot bear to see his Master performing such a menial task.
He feels it improper for Jesus to wash the disciple’s feet. Don't blame Peter.
We think the same way. Unthinkable that the Lord of glory should wash anyone's
feet. We tend to project out own thoughts or attitude on to others.
Jesus fully understands Peter's feeling and
corrects him. "You do not realize what I am doing, but later you will
understand." Peter does not understand the significance of feet washing.
His mental process is not able to grapple with this action of Jesus. One day he
will. These are words of encouragement, not rebuke.
We sometimes find ourselves in that sort of
situation when we work under the lordship of Christ. We don't understand our
Lord's ways of doing things. What is the secret when we come to such occasions? We
hold on to Him and this is what faith in God is all about.
The impulsive Peter cries out, "You
shall never wash my feet." I can't let you do that to me. I am
embarrassed. I feel awful. You showed me up.
Jesus' response, "Unless I
wash you, you have no part of me." Pretty strong words to come from Jesus!
No part of me. No share of me. It implies relationship.
There is always that human feeling of
wanting to belong. We belong to families, to groups, to churches, to
organisations. To be told 'you don't belong here' speaks of rejection. Not
needed, not wanted. You don't belong!
Foot washing in this incident becomes a
lovely metaphor or analogy for the life of faith. We must not take the words
lightly. "If I do not wash you, you have no part of me." The life of
faith is one of continual submission. It is this continual giving of oneself to
this servant ministry.
To have no part with his Lord! How
unbearable to be shut out, to know nothing of the unfolding heart of Christ.
Unthinkable to have no part with Christ! O the thought of future days, months
and years and have no part of Christ in his work and fellowship of the Spirit.
At first Peter thought that Jesus was doing
too much, but now he feels Jesus is doing too little. “Not just my feet, but my
hands and my head as well.” The earnest disciple, like many of us today, goes
from one extreme to another.
Jesus replies, “A person who has had a bath
needs only to wash his feel, his whole body is clean,” Jesus is referring to
spiritual cleansing.
The act is followed by a word of explanation
in which he instructs his disciples that they should imitate him in loving,
lowly service. We should make it our aim, not just to secure the physical
comfort of others, but their moral and spiritual cleansing as well.
Let us pray that the Lord will enable us to
live that servant life. By his grace he helps us to bend down. You cannot wash
someone’s feet without bending down. In bending down to serve others, we serve
our Lord.
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