After Jesus had washed His disciples’ feet, He asked them a penetrating question: “Do you know what I have done for you?” (John 13:12). He went on to make the point that He was their Leader. They acknowledged this when they addressed Him as “Lord and Teacher” (v. 14). Indeed, He was both—yet He had washed their feet! Shouldn’t they—or at least shouldn’t one of them as a representative of all—have washed His? Jesus didn’t even mention that. Instead He told them that they “also ought to wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). No one had more of a right to say this than Jesus. And He had an absolute right to make His next statement to them as well: “For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you” (v. 15).
Here’s some background. In that day, when people traveled, they walked. The roads were dusty, so people’s feet became filthy. Footwashing was a humble, lowly task, so washing another’s feet in that culture was a clear act of service. Jesus’ example, therefore, was one of service. His actions backed up statements He’d made previously about service—and about greatness.
- On an occasion when Jesus’ disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest, Jesus called a child over and pointed to the child and his innocence as object lessons. He told His followers that to be great in God’s kingdom, they must humble themselves as little children. He said anyone wanting to be first must take the position of last place. That person must act as servant to everyone else (see 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48).
- In Mark 10:43-45 Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” According to Matthew, He told them this after the mother of James and John had asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit next to Him—one on his right and the other on his left—in His kingdom (see 20:20-28 for the context).
Of course, it wasn’t just Jesus’ act of footwashing that served as an example for His disciples, or that serves as an example for His followers today. It was everything He did! Jesus served in a supreme manner when He came to earth and revealed the truth about God. Appropriately, the apostle Paul cited this larger example in encouraging followers of Christ to serve one another: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:3-8). No wonder the apostle John, after citing Jesus’ sacrificial death for His followers’ sins, wrote, “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another” (1 John 4:11). As Jesus demonstrated, love and service are very practical—very practical indeed.
Copyright © 2016 B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.