Day 35: John 13:1-17

Washing the feet of a guest was for the lowliest of servants. You were at the bottom of the totem pole if that was your job. So when Jesus and all the disciples got together for the Passover meal and there was no servant to wash their feet, I get the feeling that it almost became a standoff to see who was going to be the one that drew the short straw. But Jesus, knowing fully who he was, where he had come from, and where he was going, got up from the table, stripped down to just a towel and began to wash his disciples’ feet. 

Jesus knew who he was, so he wasn’t concerned with what others thought about him. It was his understanding of his own self-worth that allowed him to serve those he loved. The same should be true of us. When we understand who we are, that we are loved by God, we are valued by him, we are chosen by him, we have been ransomed by him, and when we understand where we are going, we will get to spend eternity with our Savior, we will rule and reign with him over the new earth, then we should find it a joy to show others that they hold that same value. That was what Jesus was doing. He knew his worth, and now he was showing his disciples their worth by loving them sacrificially.

Peter was so taken aback by what Jesus was doing that he objected to it. But Jesus was setting an example for his disciples, and for all of us. This is what true servanthood looks like. It’s putting others ahead of yourself. It’s looking for opportunities to serve, instead of being served. It’s not expecting to get, but expecting to give. 

But even this show of humility pales in comparison to what he allowed to happen over the next 24 hours. Am I willing to serve the way he served? Am I willing to humble myself like my savior?