13 Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully.
2 Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand what I’m doing now, but you will understand later.”
8 “No!” Peter said. “You will never wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t have a place with me.”
9 Simon Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus responded, “Those who have bathed need only to have their feet washed, because they are completely clean. You disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 He knew who would betray him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you is clean.”
12 After he washed the disciples’ feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table. He said to them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am. 14 If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do. 16 I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them. 17 Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.
Reflection
A little back story is needed for this scripture from John. Sometime during the Passover meal, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24.) Even at the Last Supper the disciples were focused on status, power and worldly gain. They thought that the welcoming entry of Jesus into Jerusalem signaled that Jesus would overcome the Romans and
that Jesus would be declared the Messiah King and rule Israel. They obviously felt that they would be power players in the new regime. They had no idea what would really happen in the next twenty four hours. Jesus would be betrayed by Judas, arrested, tried and crucified like a criminal. Their dream of ruling at the top echelon of the nation would crumble, leaving them confused and in hiding.
In this moment, the author of John says that Jesus loved his disciples fully. Even at the moment that Jesus knew he would die on the cross for our sins, he was thinking of his
disciples. And so Jesus does the unthinkable, he picks up a towel and basin, and kneels down to wash and dry their dirty feet. Their master and teacher becomes their servant. “Just as I have done, you also must do.” Out of love for them he teaches them this last lesson, that the Kin-dom of God is a place of God’s love and grace and healing. It is not like the power hungry kingdoms of the world, but a place that is both now and becoming, where all are valued and cared for by those who follow the example of Jesus.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
Jesus shows us that if we want to follow him, we have to pick up our towels and basins, and serve others. We need to become selfless, meaning we serve others, not for personal gain, but to help other’s experience God’s love and grace poured out for them. Jesus says to us, “Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them” (v. 17.) While we may know this,
acting out of love towards others is not easy to do, especially when we would rather not. We will fail, but if we keep trying, acting with love towards others will grow us in ways where we will experience the deep, abiding love God has for us. In serving others, both our lives and the lives of those we serve are transformed by God’s love and blessed.
Today, pick up your “towel and basin” and look for ways you can serve others. Is there a way of serving that you are avoiding because it isn’t easy for you to show love to that person? Pray for God to help you to grow in showing love to that person.
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we want to follow Jesus’ example to show God’s love, but it is hard for us to humble ourselves to serve, especially to the people we’d rather not serve. Help us to grow in your love and grace, towards ourselves and others, so that we may be transformed by your love. Amen.
