"Now that I, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet."
As part of my deaconess training, I had a class called "The
History of Diaconal Ministry." I remember Louise Williams asking us, "How have
you washed other people’s feet in the past?" She didn’t mean literally,
because this is no longer a practice of necessity as it was in Jesus’ time. A few of
us had literally washed feet in some manner, but mostly we were being asked to think about
how we had served other people "on our knees" - in a humbling or maybe even
demeaning manner; a manner contrary to the "me first" attitude.
On the night before Jesus died, he took the form of a servant. He did a
lowly job that only a servant or slave would be expected to perform - he got down on his
knees and washed his disciples’ dusty, walk-worn feet. Then he told them to wash each
other’s feet as he had just shown them. Then Jesus said to those first disciples and
to his disciples today, "For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I
have done to you."
The next day, Jesus died a demeaning and painful death on a cross. Upon
that cross, Jesus showed his disciples and us the ultimate act of service - dying that we
may have life!
When was the last time we lowered ourselves in order to serve someone
else? Jesus has washed our feet. Jesus took our sins upon himself. "Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:17)
