Serving Others
In the summer months, I live in my Birkenstock sandals. They are so comfy! However, before I go to bed, I have to remember to wash my feet because over the course of the day, they get pretty dirty. This always reminds me of the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet.
Did you know that Jesus washing the feet of the disciples is only mentioned in the Gospel of John? Washing feet in such a situation was the role of the most unskilled of servants.
Why was it necessary for feet washing before a meal? In understanding the context of the narrative, Jesus and His disciples lived in the Middle East. Geographically filled with deserts and sandy grounds. Thus, it is unavoidable for a person who walks in this situation to avoid collecting dust on their feet. So, when Jesus and His disciples sat down to dine (the dining table was not as high as ours. The height of the table was only 1 feet from the ground.) Thus, the food that is served on the table is very much exposed to the dust that is collected on their feet.
So, in such a situation it was the role of the most menial servants to wash and clean the feet of the guests who are about to dine. Normally a servant would have been present to perform this task, but there were none present in the upper room since it was a secret meal. The disciples did not want to wash each other's feet since they had just been arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Here Jesus reversed normal roles and assumed the place of a servant rather than that of a rabbi.
When Jesus stooped to wash His disciples’ feet He showed us an important truth about serving others.
What would you do if you knew you would die a violent death in about 12 hours? Would you want to be alone in prayer? Record some final thoughts? Would you spend time with those you loved? What would you want to emphasize? Jesus, the Bible says he knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and so he took off his cloak, put a towel around His waist and washed the dirty feet of His disciples. Who’s going to waste time on that when the end is so near? Jesus. Why? Because He wanted to show them how important it is to humbly serve one another.
Mother Teresa visited Phoenix in 1989 to open a home for the poor. During that brief visit, she was interviewed by KTAR, the largest radio station in town. In a private moment, the announcer asked Mother Teresa if there was anything he could do for her. He was expecting her to request a contribution or media attention to help to raise money for the new home for the needy in Phoenix. Instead, she replied, "Yes, there is. Find somebody nobody else loves, and love them."
Serving others, demonstrating our love in tangible ways is of first importance. Jesus considered it a priority.