JOHN 13:12-17 – When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
THEME OF THE DAY: MEASURED BY THE MASTER. Today’s scripture is familiar in the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. It is our Lord washing His disciples’ feet. Countless sermons have been preached from this text. Humility is obviously the chief lesson but there are more. Our focus will be on the words of Jesus, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you”, but first, I want us to sit back and think about this reality. I know that you know this, but unless this grasps us with force, life-altering force, then today’s lesson won’t stick or be applied.
Now the reality. Let’s put ourselves in the Upper Room. We are in the back as we watch the supper unfold. Our Lord, without a word, gets up from the floor, takes a towel, a basin of water and begins washing the feet of His disciples – dirty feet, worn feet, and not exactly the service everyone is lining up to do. Okay. Pause. What I am about to write we know but don’t gloss over it. This is not a lowly house servant. The Holy Creator is washing the feet of sinful creatures. Yes, the Creator, the One who spoke all things into existence and sustains all things washes feet (John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17). To be redundant, this truth must radically alter our lives in every area because of what Jesus says is the application of what He did; our example.
God models for us what He commands of us. What this means is no service is too menial or unbecoming us, no person is to be excluded. Remember, Jesus washed the feet of Judas. There simply is nothing which is to be off the table when it come to the servant of the Lord Jesus, and that includes the lowest of the lowest in serving the Lord’s people. A story was told of a pastor who was asked to do something at his church. It wasn’t glamorous, in the public eye, and humanly speaking, like washing feet, it was quite lowly. His immediate response was, “I can’t do that. I am the pastor.” I would be tempted to respond with, “I think you need to rethink your calling.” We cannot just operate in our areas of spiritual giftedness. There are way too many commands and the model of Jesus forbidding this isolated service in the body of Christ. Gifted singer? Great teacher? Set up the chairs for the potluck supper. Accomplished preacher? Excellent musician? Take out the trash, help tidy up the restroom after an event. Remember, the Creator washed feet and all spiritual growth, health, and service are measured by Him, our Master.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to measure my spiritual condition and health by Your Son only.”
QUOTE: “Jesus is not only our Master but our Model. We pattern all of life on His example.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim