John 13:13, 14 (New International Version)
"You call me "Teacher" and "Lord," and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another's feet.
Background:
This is during the LAST Supper of Jesus with the disciples, the night before Judas Iscariot betrayed him. Washing of feet at that time is a customary to the Jews and necessary knowing that they use Sandals most of the time. Washing of feet though is never done by a Jew, only a slave or other people with different nationality.
Reflection:
We'll look at two things from these verses:
1. Power of being an Example to others
- How will the future generations remember you? Will they look up to you and follow your footprints? Have you set a good example to others? Here Jesus became a great Example to his disciples saying even though He is the Lord and Teacher, He'd still wash their feet so they too can wash each other's feet. With this act, his message was sent across effectively.
2. Humility
- When was the last time you chose to accept your mistake and asked for forgiveness? When was the last time you still asked forgiveness even though it was not your fault? Here Jesus did a humbling act in washing his disciple's feet. There are a lot of reasons to justify why He shouldn't do it. One is He's the teacher and Lord. A lord doesn't wash his followers' feet. Second, he's a Jew and no Jew should do such a thing. Third, he's GOD, the creator of all things. But even if he knows his authority and "position", he still chose to bow down and washed his disciple's feet.
What is the Lord telling us?
Let us be great examples of what we say. Let us be doers of our declaration. If we say we're Christians then let's act like one. We cannot expect our friends, family, workmates to believe what we're saying if we're not showing it with our deeds. As James, the brother of Jesus, had said Faith without Deeds is Dead (James 2:14). Let our lives be an Open Book for others to read in proclaiming God's goodness. Let our lives be a blessing to everyone we meet.
Second, let's be humble as he is humble. Here's a passage from Philippians 2:3-11 to explain it:
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death: even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
At the end of the day, it's Him who should be lifted up instead of us. It's Him who should be recognized not us.
God Bless you more!
by Goody of A Friend Named Goody
