“So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.””
John 13:4-7 NLT
A group of perplexed disciples. One by one Jesus had gently lifted their feet and immersed them in water, washing away the dirt and detritus, and then He dried them with the towel around His waist. And a sobering and life changing thought emerges in our minds – if we had been there as well, Jesus would have washed our feet. Was that just a one off teaching opportunity used by Jesus for His Twelve, or are there eternal lessons for everyone, past, present and future? If only we could get across to our generation the reality that the God and Creator of this Universe was prepared to be a lowly servant, doing the most menial of tasks, and who is still prepared to serve us in the same way two thousand years later. The same God and Creator who just a few hours after this event, died in agony taking on Himself the punishment for all the sins ever committed by mankind.
Paul wrote the following, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). Everything Jesus did in His ministry years was focussed on the coming Cross. His teaching, His miracles, His love; it all established a legacy that has been life changing for all who have ever believed in Him. Paul went on to write, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). There will come a day when everyone, believers or not, will have to bow before Jesus and declare that the humble servant who washed His disciples feet is in fact the Lord of all.
It was too much for Peter to experience his Lord and Master humbling Himself to wash his feet. A natural human reaction perhaps, because here was Someone, who Peter had on a pedestal, kneeling before him reaching out to lift his first foot. Surely He couldn’t do this, Peter was thinking, and the impulsive Peter blurted out, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Peter had already watched as Jesus worked His way around the group. There would have been a silence, embarrassment and puzzlement hanging in the air. Thoughts including “Why is Jesus doing this?” troubling their minds. You see, to the Jewish people, the rabbis and Jewish leaders were looked up to and, if necessary, the ordinary people would have bowed before them with a servile attitude. It was unthinkable that one of them would stoop so low as to wash their feet. So why was Someone, so much greater than the Jewish leaders, doing this? Was it then, soon afterwards, or much later, that the penny dropped in the group-think of these young men? Jesus only said to Peter, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
Jesus taught a lesson that day that has impacted not only our faith but our behaviour. We pilgrims are foot washers, serving our friends, families and communities, in every way possible, no matter how menial the task.
Dear Father God. You, the Creator of this Universe, loved mankind so much that You found a way to connect with them, and assure them of eternal life. Truly a plan from the Master! Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 