Lord, will you wash my feet?

We’ve been looking at the “I Am’s” in the Bible—the places where Jesus talked about himself. This week is one that goes so quickly by that most people miss it. See if you can spot it as we read John 13:1-18. Did you catch that--“Teacher” and “Lord?” What do they mean? In school, it means your teacher, or possibly principal. In the army, it meant your commanding officer. In civilian life, it meant your king. In slavery, it meant the man who owned you. At the workplace it was your boss. Principal, commander, king, master, boss—all are terms which say that Jesus is in control. There are those who yearn to be the boss. When they get to be the boss, they never let you forget it. Jesus is not that kind of boss. Here’s the kind of boss Jesus is. 13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. Sometime in the last week of Jesus’ life, when the authorities were out to arrest him, and the crowds were out to make him king, and ever tongue in Israel was wagging about who he was, Jesus led his disciples secretly into the city. Jesus met with his disciples in secret. Jesus knew when He entered that night that it would be his last on earth. He knew that He would die a horrible death in a very short time. This was his last chance to speak with his disciples before he died. Think of the things he could say to them. But before they could begin that last supper, Jesus did something that did something that was more eloquent than any words. It was an act of humility that still echoes through the years. Verses 2-5 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. We do not know what Jesus was wearing. It is probable that over his robe, he wore a stole which was the symbol of a teacher. If he did, he had to remove it. Then Jesus removed his robe. Now he was down to the dress of a common laborer—a fisherman perhaps, or a carpenter. This is what men wore when they were getting down to work. Now Jesus stood before them, bereft of all symbols of authority. But he didn’t stop there. He took off his tunic, too. There he was, naked before them. Then he wrapped a towel around his waist. It was the garb—not merely of a slave, but of the lowliest of slaves. Those who carried water for the other slaves would have worn such an towel. These slaves were unworthy for the master to spend any more money on their clothing, except for a discarded bit of cloth. One of the things that is not mentioned in the Bible are the waiters and servers of the last supper. No one ever mentions them. That’s because, in the eyes of the Gospel writers, they were invisible. These servers were not all the same. Some brought the wine, others brought the food, others cleared the table. But there was one person whose place was known. That was the foot washer. People reclined at the table, which brought their faces close to someone else’s feet. After walking through those dirty dusty streets, foot washing was very important. It was also considered disgusting work. It always went to the worst servant among them, or the youngest. So if a person were the foot washer, they knew that no one thought much of them. We don’t know who the foot washer was that day, but we know this, Jesus put him out of a job. Jesus took the bowl from that man or woman’s hands, and started to do that job for him. One by one he washed his disciples’ feet. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." We can appreciate Peter’s reaction. He was not objecting to someone washing his feet. This was not the first time someone had done it for Peter. He just objected to who was washing his feet. In Peter’s eyes, it was not appropriate for a teacher and lord to wash feet. Of course Peter had a selfish motive for objecting. Jesus had already promised him that he would be leader when Jesus left. He would have to wash feet, too! In our culture, we are no different. We think that authority depends on the external trappings of office. That’s why men wear neckties and women wear dresses, even though they are uncomfortable. That’s why you don’t yell “You lie!” to the president even if he is lying. It’s the honor of the office. Society runs on that kind of honor. But Jesus messed all that up. He dressed and acted like the lowest person in the room. We give authority respect. This isn’t what Jesus had in mind. Authority is not who we should respect. Respect should be given to those whom authority Jesus tells us we should serve. Every human being in the church and in the world deserves our respect. If we really walk with Jesus, we do not have to buttress his authority by artificial pomp. People will know our authority and power without us having to brag about it. They will know by the words we say and the deeds we do. Jesus did not have to act like a master or lord—he was one. His disciples knew it. Then Jesus told his disciples to do the same. Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. 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. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. How do we put this into practice? · By not insisting on being treated according to our rank.. Go to the back of the line. · But not expecting people will treat us more any better than we earn. If we say something foolish, we ought to be rebuked. A wise man knows how to state his own case. · By not insisting on the best seats or portions. Let the poor have the most. · By not attempting to impress others with what we have. Let them be impressed by what we are. · By not expecting more than we deserve in wages or favor. · By devoting our time to serving the poor and the lowly, without bragging about it later. · By following the example of Jesus. But what if the poor and the lowly are not worthy of our respect? Poverty breeds other social vices as well—drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, dishonesty, laziness from hopelessness, just to name a few. Surely we aren’t to show honor to people who do these things? The honor Jesus showed to others was not for their sake. He was following God, his father in this, who lets the rain fall on the just and the unjust. Consider just two of the men whose feet He washed. There was Judas, who that very night would betray him. There was also Peter, who that very night would deny him. He washed their feet. When people misuse the honor we show them, it does not speak badly of us. It speaks badly of them. The fact that God blessed them through us is even more reason for them to be condemned. Our kindness heaps coals of injustice upon his head. In Dostoyefski’s Crime and Punishment, a young student commits robbery and murder. He is poor through his own laziness, and he is bitter. He thinks the world owes him something, so he decides to take it. Before he can commit the crime, he gets a letter from his mother. His sister has married a rich banker. The banker has moved to his town, and has reserved a lucrative job for him. His troubles should be over. But they are not. The student takes offense at the letter. He decides the man is not good enough for his sister, without even meeting him. In his mind, he thinks that he is above all other people. He carries on with his scheme. We are often the same. We don’t want God to be our servant. We do not want to acknowledge that we even need a servant. Why should we need a teacher and lord, even one so good as this? We rebel. We put up our defenses. We become bankers or bikers or Goths, each one living out his prideful fantasies of importance, when God has offered us riches if we will just follow him. Don’t let the evil of this world blind you to the love of God. Here he is before, you, offering you the world, and we say to him “Don’t wash my feet.” If Jesus is really our teacher and Lord, then we should let him serve us. Then we should follow his example. Don’t do what He wouldn’t do. Do what He did. Serve. Give, love, and be humble about it. Let God reward us openly for what we have done in secret This is what is means to be in Jesus’ company.