August 18, 2023

Not Worthy

“So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’” John 13:6-8 (NASB)

             Yesterday, I spoke about a foot washing service I conducted at my church. I left a few comments for today’s passages which I felt were appropriate for today. Before, when I approached a deacon, he was humbled and said, “I should be serving you, not vice versa.” He was about 80 years old. He is now with the Lord. Before his statement, he took off his socks and shoes. His removed socks revealed aged and withered feet. He was almost ashamed to reveal them. I did not know his thoughts at the time. I was asking the Lord what to say when I kneeled at his feet. When I kneeled at his feet, I remember taking the water and rinsing his feet. Then, I took a towel and dried them. As I dried, I noticed something. His feet were shaking. I do not know if was a tremor which caused the shaking or nervousness. Whatever, it did not matter. Later, he confided and said he never experienced the humility God showed him at the time.

            “So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet?” One can imagine Peter drew up his feet at this time. His impulsive humility spoke not understanding what Jesus was doing. “On this remarkable occasion Jesus perfectly staged a portrayal of his whole life from birth to death to resurrection! It was a dramatization of Philippians 2:5–9: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”[1] Jesus did not regard equality, “with God…but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” He served others, as a servant would serve their master. His whole life was dominated by service (Matthew 20:28). Then, Jesus’ next remark clarified Peter’s misunderstanding, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Jesus told Peter and the others, “You may not understand what I am doing, but one day you will.” The dirty feet of the disciples was a picture of their spiritual condition before God, without Christ as their Savior. When Jesus cleansed their feet, He was showing them a picture of salvation and how it cleanses the life of the believer. But impulsively Peter responds, “Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Hughes says this so well, “Good old Peter. Sometimes the only time he opened his mouth was to change feet!”[2] Jesus tells Peter a sobering truth;, you will not be in fellowship with Me, or you will have nothing in common with Me.

            Today, I am not advocating you find someone and wash their feet. Especially if God is not leading you. I would ask you to serve your fellow brother or sister. It is easy to serve those you love, but consider this; Jesus knew the direction each foot would take in the coming days ahead, and yet He still washed them. Some would stand and preach boldly. Some would run. Some would say words he would forever regret. One would steal away in the darkness only to betray Him. Yet He served them, undeterred from His course. Would you take one moment today and serve someone? Maybe even a word of encouragement can have influence today!

[1] Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 314). Crossway Books.

[2] Ibid.