JOHN 13:1-7 – Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
THEME OF THE DAY. HE WILL MAKE IT CLEAR. Today’s scripture affirms with force and clarity the words from the major prophet book of Isaiah about God’s ways and workings in the lives of His children – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Let’s enter the scene and observe this truth and an application for us today.
Imagine sitting on the floor around a table (that was the way they ate). All of a sudden, Jesus gets up, doesn’t say a word, grabs a towel, ties it around His waist, then pours some water in a basin. What are the disciples thinking? What are we thinking? Dinner isn’t over so the Lord isn’t washing dishes. Then all of a sudden He kneels and picks up a dirty foot of the disciple closest to Him. Again, not a word spoken but the scene is speaking very loudly. He finished washing one disciple’s feet, then, He continues around the table doing the same for all of them – even Judas. The minds of the disciples are racing, So are ours. We just witnessed the Creator; the One we recently watched heal the sick, raise the dead and turn water into wine, now turn to do the lowliest of humble service a person would ever do – wash dirty, dust-caked feet of sinners. And Jesus knew they (we) would be puzzled about this astonishing act. His words to them reveal their bewildered state – “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Get a handle on what Jesus is saying for here lies a valuable application for us.
Sometimes, often many times, actually most of the time, what God is doing in our lives by the unfolding of His sovereignty is not revealed immediately to us. We don’t just enter a season of trial, suffering, testing and immediately say, “Yes, Lord, I get it. Thank you for teaching me this particular lesson.” If everything was learned about the Lord, our walk with Him, and how we grow in grace was immediate, then we would not walk by faith. And the chief lesson the Lord wants us to learn is a deepening trust in Him. To get there, He will put us in periods of waiting, driving us to simply rest confidently in the words He spoke to His disciples – “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” So, in those times of “observing the Creator washing feet” when we scratch our spiritual heads with “Huh?”, simply wait on Him – in confidence, in trust – and soon He will make it clear what He is teaching us through the mystery of His ways of working in us.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to be patient and wait upon You to reveal the work You are doing in my life.”
QUOTE: “God doesn’t immediately show us lessons He wants to teach us and that alone teaches us a lesson.”