Jesus, the washer of feet

Last week in the days before Easter Sunday our church had a series of half-hour meditations every evening of the week. It was a good time of spiritual preparation for the all-important events of Easter weekend. On the first night, we took a look at the time in the upper room when Jesus was with his disciples and when he washed his disciples' feet. This is a story I have heard, read, and recounted more times than I could count. Yet one or two points that my good friend, Ian Mathews, made really struck me.

The first point Ian made is that "Jesus knew". He knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father (John 13:1). He knew that Judas Iscariot had already been prompted to betray him (13:2). And he knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God (13:3). Jesus knew his position, his power, and that this was his moment of destiny. So what does he do in the light of that knowledge? In one sense, he could have done whatever he wanted--the end was near, he knew he was about to return to glory, he knew how the whole thing was going to play out. What speeches should he give? What rousing encouragement to the men sitting in the room, afraid and uncertain? There are no rousing speeches, no displays of glory; he washes his disciples' feet.

For some reason when I heard this it astounded me. We are so quick to focus on many aspects and actions of Jesus' life and ministry. We want to emulate him and laud him for diffent parts of his work and character. These days we tend to focus on the victorious and prominent aspects: Jesus CEO, King of kings, Conquering Lord, Risen Saviour, etc. All those things are good and right(okay, I'm not so sure about the CEO thing). But here, at his final meal with his disciples, the men that he was entrusting with his message and the proclamation of the kingdom, he sets them an example by washing their feet.

Then he takes it further: "you also should wash one another's feet." "No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one that sent him" (13:16). A tall order, and one that we often choose to conveniently set aside.

I have been in some churches where they take this command literally. Some times it is after communion, and the basins of water will be brought out, and members of the church will wash each others' feet. There is something humbling about this, and it does bring a sense of close fellowship, but I have to confess that sometimes I think that would be the easy option.

I believe that if we are to follow Jesus' example of washing feet, it means looking out for others' needs before our own, just as a servant in a household would do. It means not always obsessing over whether or not we're getting our fair due, the recognition we deserve, our appropriate piece of the pie, whatever the pie may be. It means throwing off the mindset of this world that bombards us with the fact that we are indeed the centre of the universe and that our personal happiness and contentment should be at the top of everybody's agenda. It means being willing to sacrifice our own wants, desires, and plans for others.

There are so many pictures and images of Jesus in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. It's impossible to keep them all always before us. For awhile I think I want to dwell on him as the washer of feet. And by his grace and with lots and lots of help from him, I want to try to follow that example. "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17).