Jump Start # 416 

John 13:12 “So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you?’” 

  Our passage today comes from the Lord’s last day with the disciples. They met in an upper room to celebrate the Passover feast. From that, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. But He did something remarkable right before all of that—He washed the disciples feet.

  This is one custom that really seems odd to Americans. Most of us would have trouble with washing feet. Remember, we are talking about a time in which folks didn’t wear socks, most roads were not paved and feet got dirty. It was the duty of the host to wash feet. On an earlier occasion, Jesus was in the home of Simon, and a woman washed Jesus feet, not Simon. The Lord pointed that out to him.

 It wasn’t really Jesus’ job to do the washing. In fact, since He was the leader, you’d think that someone would wash His, but they didn’t. Isn’t that the way things are? Those that ought to do it, just don’t. Jesus did. He washed their feet. The feet that Jesus washed included Judas’. In a short time after this, he would leave the group and go and find the priests to seal the deal to arrest Jesus. The Lord knew this. And still He washed those feet. Not sure I could have done that.

  The question Jesus asked, “Do you know what I have done to you,” is not answered by saying, ‘washed our feet?’ That’s obvious. Everyone knows that. He was going deeper as He always did. Think, is what He wanted the disciples to do.

  The Lord was illustrating the principle of being a servant. Having the heart of a servant is key in the kingdom of God. Jesus had taught and taught that, now He was illustrating that. Washing feet wasn’t a glamorous job. A child didn’t want to grow up and be a ‘professional foot washer.’ It was something that was just done. It did little for the washer. He got wet, held those dirty toes and got himself dirty in the process. Having your feet washed, first of all felt good. It made you clean, and after walking all day on your feet, it was comforting. Foot washing was about doing something for someone else.

  Jesus wants us to follow—not in washing feet. Our feet don’t need to be washed. Our feet aren’t dirty as the disciples were. Jesus wants us to do things for others—even if there is no real benefit for us. Even if it gets us a bit dirty. Even if it’s a job generally left to the slaves to do. Do it. Be a servant. Help others with nothing in return.

  I’m known many such servants. They share produce from their gardens. They come and give rides to folks to services or take them to the doctor. They arrive to help clean up a yard or paint a room. They give up a Saturday to help someone move. They don’t complain because no one else showed up. They don’t want anything in return. They simply do what servants do, and that is serve. It’s no big deal to them. In the course of time, they won’t even remember what they have done. Serving is natural and common for them. Rarely a week passes that they are not doing something for someone. It’s just the way they are. They are servants. They’d rather do something for someone else than to have the opposite, someone do something for them.

  Washing dirty toes—it’s one thing when those toes belong to your kids, but someone else? Another adult? Ugh! We have our “Ugh” jobs today. Servants do them, because their hearts compel them.

  Jesus would say at another place that the greatest in the kingdom is servants! We need servants. Those that will do without complaining. Those that will do without being asked. Those that have a heart—a heart like Jesus. Servants often only have their hands to work with. They may not be the big givers, or the thinkers, or the planners, but when it comes to getting something done, step out of the way because the servants are coming through. They always do.

  I am surrounded by servants. I love them to pieces. They make the church what it is. I have a mind to name them, but they’d be embarrassed and more so upset with me. Because servants don’t want praise. They are happy to just be able to do what they can.

  Servants find themselves very comfortable around Jesus, because He was just like them—a servant.

  How about you? Look about your world today. See what you can do. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t toot your horn—that’s not in the servant’s way. Just do it and be thankful that you could make a difference today!

Roger