THE TWO SIDES OF FOOT WASHING
John 13:1-17
If you’ve ever spent time around farm animals, you may see a number of
similarities between them and us people. Chickens, for example, have an
interesting tendency to set up a social order in which the strong pick on the
weak. Or maybe I should say "peck". The most dominant chicken will peck on the
head of weaker chickens. The next most dominant bird then pecks on everyone
else’s head except for the chicken more dominant than him, and so it goes all
the way down to the lowliest chicken. Everyone pecks on his head and he pecks on
no one. He is quite easy to spot. He’ll be the bleeding, bald-headed bird always
looking over his shoulder. This is called the "pecking order".
The term has often been used to describe the way humans set up a social order
whether in small groups or large communities, but especially in small, close
social situations. We can even see it happening in the social dynamics that took
place between the disciples of Jesus.
More than once we see them jockeying for position and bickering over their prominence in the Kingdom.
This quest for position and power appears to come to a full head by the time Jesus had the
pass-over meal with them in the upper room.
One by one, they filed into the room prepared for this special meal with Jesus. I’m sure when they entered, they
would look around for someone to wash their feet before eating, but since no one
was arranged to serve in this manner, they sat down with dirty feet. The job of
washing the feet of dinner guests was the task of the lowest slave; the one at
the bottom of the pecking order. With thoughts of glory and grandeur in their
heads, none were about to wash any old feet! Jesus now gets up from the table to
the astonished, blank gazes of the disciples, removes his outer clothing and
wraps a towel around His waist and provides us with one of the most beautiful
and significant living parables in the Bible. This event provides us with very
practical and spiritual applications:
I. PRACTICAL
a. PRIDE
Over and over, Jesus taught his followers about the value of humility. Now the
Lord placed them in a situation in which they must act it out. To be effective
as Christ-followers, pride would need to be broken! A cursory look at the book
of Proverbs reveals a great deal about the problem of pride.
6Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
The proud individual believes that he is control of
his own future
1Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
No wonder it is at the top of God’s hate list!
b. PRIVACY
By nature, we like our privacy.
The problem with valuing our personal space is that real ministry
occurs up close and personal. Laying on of hands, anointing with oil, caring for
the sick cannot happen at a distance and I suspect that Jesus wanted to get that
across to these future healers of hearts.
c. INDEPENDENCE
Whenever I ask someone the question, "What would you find most difficult:
washing someone’s feet or having someone wash yours?" The answer was always the
same. Having someone wash my feet bothers me a bit. I confess. I have a very
independent streak in me. I do for myself thank you very much and these feet
don’t need your help. I can wash them on my own, no problem. Besides, I don’t
want another person to see the dirt between my toes and under my toenails.
The problem with this thinking, however
is that it is far from the spirit of the Christian faith. An independent nature
is not a highly valued trait for a Christian. In fact, we are placed in a family
where we are mutually dependent for ministry and encouragement and edification.
d. JEALOUSY
Remember that the disciples had been bickering over primacy in the Kingdom.
Although they had a common bond in Jesus, they did not necessarily like each
other. The air was thick with jealousy and suspicion. Their heads were too full of glory and prestige and
position to do such a thing. AS GRAB A TOWEL AND WASH EACH OTHERS FEET.
. Every one would expect him to wash feet all the time from now on. They were all too busy worrying about taking
a throne to be concerned about grabbing a towel!
So Jesus did it
.It is very hard to stay mad or jealous of someone washing
your feet.
II SPIRITUAL
Outspoken and spontaneous Peter did what he did best: open his mouth and talk.
John 13:6-10 gives us the story of Peter’s reaction to the whole scenario.
Feeling that it was wrong for Jesus to stoop to this level for him, he objected
and refused this service from His Lord.
"Jesus answered, ’Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’" Over-reacting as always, "
’Then Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ’not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’"
What Jesus said at this point opens to us the truth of regeneration. Now He was speaking in
spiritual terms.
If you have been washed initially when He saved you from sin
and you became a born-again child of God, further such cleansing is unnecessary
He was speaking of that initial salvation which occurred when
the heart believed and received Christ as Savior and Lord.
But we do need ourwalk cleansed on a continual basis! No matter how holy you are or think you are,
we all experience the incidental defilements from casual contact with the world
we live in. We get dirty and grimy and grungy as we pick up the dust and dirt of a sinful world
. Perhaps you feel it though the week. Your job wears you down.
Working and living in an unregenerate world leaves you feeling a bit dirty and
out of touch with heaven. Therefore, when we come together on Wednesday or
Sunday to gather in His Presence, we sense our need for cleansing before we can
really enter into intimate fellowship with the Lord. Christian fellowship is
meant to be a cleansing experience!
The worship, the singing and the music, the ministry of the Word, the fellowship of the saints, the encouragement and contact of those of like precious faith is a real spiritual foot washing
CONCLUSION:
"When he had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to
His place. ’Do you understand what I have done for you?’ He asked them."
Now look at Philippians 2:5-11. It is known as the Kenosis passage. Kenosis
means to empty.
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 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. And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore
God also has highly exhalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every
name, that every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and
of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Can you picture it? In the upper room, Jesus got up from His seat, removed His
outer garments, put on a towel to serve and minister to His people and when He
was finished, put His garments back on and sat down again. What an object lesson
! He left His place in Glory, removed the outer appearance
of divinity for a time and took on the form of a servant or slave. His humility
caused Him to go right to the cross to save us. When He was finished the work of
redemption, He put His garments of divinity back on and went back to sit at the
right hand of the Father!
Jesus instructs us to follow His example and do the same for those in our
ministry.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord
and He will lift you up!
