In The Word
Read: John 13:1-20
The Lord’s Supper
13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper and *laid His outer garments aside; and He took a towel and tied it around Himself.
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no place with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; it was for this reason that He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 Then, 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 for you? 13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am. 14 So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.15 For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for you.16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I am not speaking about all of you. I know the oneswhom I have chosen; but this is happening so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send, receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Yeshua knows His hour is at hand and that He is about to depart from this world. He wanted to give the disciples a lesson that they would never forget, so He bent down and washed their feet. This was the job of a lowly servant. It is interesting that no one volunteered to do this when they first entered into the house. Our Lord showed them that being a leader does not mean you are above doing whatever it takes to serve one another. He knew that He was about to turn the responsibility and leadership of His kingdom over to these men. They needed to understand the heart and spirit behind their King. Therefore, He gave them the example of serving others, including those who would end up betraying Him.
There are many of us who have aspirations to excel in whatever endeavor is set before us, but do we take the time to understand the heart and spirit of our King while doing it? In Philippians 2:6-7, Paul says, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”
This is the posture we are to take as believers. We should not have a sense of entitlement or carry a “leadership chip” on our shoulders. We should be willing to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of others around us. The responsibility and leadership of the kingdom of God has been given to us to steward. We must fulfill by following the example of a servant. Are you willing to bend down and wash the feet of those around you, even if some may betray you in the end? Our King was willing!