Daily Devotional for Wednesday 20th March
Too great an act of love not to share!
The beginning of this chapter in John, Chapter 13, is a startling example of love and selfless service, of a life willingly laid down for others in the face of enmity. Verses 1-3 states that Jesus, knowing that His hour had come, knowing that one of His own disciples was going to betray Him and He would be going to the cross, knowing that He had come from the Father in heaven and knowing that He would be going back to God the Father…knowing all of that Jesus proceeds to love His 12 disciples, including the betrayer, to the very end. How’s that for love?
Jesus takes up the role of a servant, takes off His nice robe, and kneels to wash the feet of His disciples. Have you ever had someone else wash your feet? It’s an incredibly embarrassing, humbling and intimate act. The people of Jesus’ time were used to washing their feet as they came in from outside, as they wore sandals in a hot and dusty country. Often, a servant would be tasked with washing guests’ feet when they arrived for a meal. Jesus begins to do this for the disciples.
When He gets to Peter, Peter exclaims, “Lord, do You wash my feet?!” Peter gets it right that he, and we, are not worthy for Jesus to wash our feet. Jesus tells Peter that he won’t understand initially why He is doing this, but that he will understand afterward (v.7). Peter rejects this idea that Jesus is demonstrating self-abasement, of the way of humility and love. Jesus tells him that if he doesn’t let Jesus wash his feet (die for him) then he will have no part with Jesus. So, Peter submits, but still not getting it, he then says, ok, but wash all of me! (v.9) Jesus patiently tells Peter he hasn’t quite got it right.
After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus puts His robe back on, sits down with them, and then teaches them about what He had just done. It wasn’t about the physical washing of feet, it was about loving one another with humility and hearts that are willing to serve each other. And Jesus says, “For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you” (v.15)
Time to reflect…
Are we willing to serve others lovingly even when it means taking a lowly position?
Are we willing to submit to God the Father even when the path He takes us down includes pain or people becoming our enemies because we proclaim the gospel of Jesus?
Can we fix our eyes on Jesus and trust God the Father to keep us into eternity, no matter what?
Can we love like Jesus?
Pause to pray…
Father God, please help us to know and understand Your love for us which Jesus so beautifully demonstrated to His disciples. Help that understanding of Your love cause our hearts to love like Your’s, and may it unfold like a beautiful flower for all the world to see. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
