The Servant John 13:5-17
Tonight we’ve come together to share a meal in friendship and in fellowship just like Jesus and his disciples did for the last time 2000 years ago. Tonight Jesus will be betrayed and arrested; tomorrow he will be tried, scourged and crucified. I’m sure he’s got a lot on his mind, and yet he takes time this evening to wash his disciple’s feet.
I think we mentioned this before but remember the roads these men walked down were not just dusty they were filthy so this is no simple thing that Jesus is doing. This is dirty work that takes effort on his part and as we’ll see it takes effort on his disciple’s part too.
Jesus kneels down and goes down the line washing his disciple’s feet. I don’t know how many he did first but then he came to Peter. Peter is horrified by this demonstration and tells Jesus, “No…you shall never wash my feet.” (John 13:9)
Peter is once again as he has before missing the lesson and reverting back to his prideful nature. Peter’s love and respect for Jesus is real but his pride disallows him from letting his Lord wash his feet. Peter was missing the fact that this act was a deliberate expression of Jesus teachings to live a life of servitude. He forgot that Jesus told them “…the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many.” (Matt 20:28) The humility expressed by Jesus in this act foreshadows his ultimate act of humility and love on the cross.
After Peter’s refusal Jesus tells him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part of me.” I’m sure this shocks Peter. “I’ve been with you for three years, now you tell me I will have no part of you.”
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a parable about a wedding party and women who got distracted while waiting for the groom, when the groom returned he told them, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” (Matt 25:12) Here Jesus is demonstrating with Peter the same theme. Peter lived with, ate with, traveled with Jesus and if he didn’t put aside his pride and embarrassment and accept Jesus service he was not a part of the Kingdom.
Men may talk of Jesus; men may try to live as Jesus taught. Men may even do good deeds among others, but if we are too embarrassed to claim Jesus, if we never admit we need him and the cross and accept his sacrifice into our lives; if we have no faith, then despite all we do, we are still outside of Christ and not a part of him.
Verses 9 & 10 “’Lord,’ Peter replied, ’not just my feet but my hands and head as well.’ Jesus answered ‘Those who have had a bath need only wash their feet, their whole body is clean.’”
Here is Christian theology in one sentence. When we accept Christ all our past sins are washed away, we are clean. There is no reason to keep going back to God and asking over and over for him to forgive something he already forgave; Hebrews 8:12, “For I will…remember their sins no more.” God forgave and forgot. The only thing you’re doing by going over sins in your past is increasing your stress level needlessly.
Peter is clean and does not need another bath but Jesus is washing his feet; again a basic tenet of Christian theology.
As we go through life we will make mistakes, we will sin; we will get the filth of the road on our feet and Jesus is always there to wash it away. When we catch ourselves doing wrong, thank Jesus for already covering it at the cross.
Verse 14, “Now that I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet.” Jesus shows us in a physical demonstration the depth of what our service should be. Here is the savior of mankind washing the filth of an ancient and unsanitary street off the feet of mankind. What does this say to us? Should I talk to the homeless, show them that I see them and that they are still a human being; yes. Should I forgive my brothers and sisters when they make mistakes or sin against me, yes.
We call Jesus Lord and Teacher. Those titles garner respect and prestige yet he kneels before his disciples with a bowl of water to wash their feet. Doctor, nurse, policeman, congressman; all titles that dictate respect or authority; yet none of these excludes the owner from doing the dirty work among his or her fellow man.
The theology Jesus gives us with this demonstration is this; it is Jesus who washes the filth of sin off us and he will continue to do so as we go through life. And if Christ, who has dominion over all existence, Christ who sits at the right hand of God; if Christ can humble himself enough to wash men’s feet, what or who can we claim is beneath us or our station in life.
And last; Jesus as a man washed the disciple’s feet. Like Peter, put your pride and embarrassment away and ask for help. Whether it’d from a friend, a spouse, a neighbor or a therapist; there is no shame in needing help.
Jesus as God washed the disciple’s feet. All humanity should ask him to come into their lives and wash away their sin.
God bless you.