The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
In Jesus’ Footsteps
I recently watched as a man put socks on his handicapped wife’s feet. It was such a gentle, humble, and deliberate act of love that it caused me to think of Christ washing his disciple’s feet. In those days it was common courtesy for a host to order his servants to wash the feet of his guests. However far they had come to visit, their sandaled feet would have become coated with the dust of the roads.
John is the only gospel in which the incident is recorded. Jesus celebrated his final Passover supper in the home of an unnamed man. The disciples prepared the Passover, as instructed, and it is unclear exactly who the host was. It appears to have been Jesus, but in washing the disciple’s feet Jesus took the part of a servant. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22 describe Jesus’ directions for finding the place and the establishment of the Lord’s Supper, commonly called communion or breaking of bread in most churches. But in chapters 13-17 of the Gospel of John He gave a great deal of instruction and an object lesson in servanthood.
John 13:4-17 tells us that “He arose from supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said unto him, ‘Lord, you are washing my feet?’
Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘What I do you do not know now; but you shall know hereafter.’ Peter said unto him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.’ Simon Peter said unto him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus said to him, ‘He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, but is clean in every way: and you are clean, but not all.’ For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, ‘You are not all clean.’
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was set down again, He said unto them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”
To walk in Jesus’ footsteps is to humbly serve whoever God puts in our path, especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. What this looks like is different for each of us because our service within God’s universal church depends on both our individual gifting and calling from the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 2:21b-24 confirms that “… Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously. He His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness…” In addition, Philippians 2:5-7 clarifies the position that Jesus took while on earth: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But He made Himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”
How should we respond to Jesus Christ’s example? “You have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Gal. 5:13-14).
Update and Prayer Request: Additional side-effects to the immunotherapy showed up last week. Besides continuing digestive issues, Dan had a couple of asthma attacks after more than forty years of being asthma-free. When we moved to Susanville his asthma disappeared and mine started. During his infusion yesterday he experienced the usual pain, but this time it was only in his hips. Please pray for his recovery from his infusion as he is very tired and will need the next three days to recover some stamina for returning to work on Monday. This is our new norm.
