24 hours to live
We’ve all heard the story about the man who received a phone call from his doctor. The doctor said, "I’ve got some bad news and some really bad news."
The man said, "tell me the bad news." The doctor said, "The bad news is that I got your test results back and you have only 24 hours to live."
The man is distraught, "24 hours to live? That’s terrible! What on earth could be worse than that? If that’s the bad news then what’s the VERY bad news?" The doctor sighs and says, ‘I should have told you yesterday’.
30-40 Years Left
Or how about the story of a woman called Shirley who had a heart attack and was taken to hospital. And while she was there she had a near-death experience. She saw God and asked, "God, Is this it? Is this my time?" And God said, "No, you’ve got another 30 or 40 years to live yet."
So as soon as she recovered, she decided to stay in hospital and have a facelift, liposuction and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair style and hair colour. She figured since she had another 30 to 40 years, she might as well make the most of it.
But when she walked out of the hospital after the last operation she got knocked down and killed by a bus. She arrived back in heaven and she said, "God, I thought you said I had another 30 to 40 years left?" And God said, ‘Shirley is that you? Sorry I didn’t recognise you’.
He knew his time had come
My point is this... if you knew that you only had 24 hours left to live and you knew at the end of those 24 hours you were going to die a violent death – what would you do with the time you have left? Would you go on a mad spending spree. Would you try and get even with all those people who had hurt you or abused you over the years? Would you want to spend time with your family, go to your favourite place one more time, eat your favourite meal - even if it is fattening! Would you want to be alone in prayer? Would you record some final thoughts as a keep sake for those left behind? To be honest, if I faced imminent death I would probably be totally pre-occupied about myself and what I’m about to go through – we probably all would. When faced with a life threatening situation our own sense of self preservation can get pretty strong.
But here we have the events of the last few moments of Jesus’ life. John 13 verse 1 says that, ‘Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love’. Did you get that? Knowing that his time had come... knowing that in just a few hours he was going to be arrested, beaten, bruised, whipped and crucified... knowing that in just a few hours he was going to endure the most violent death known to mankind... rather than being preoccupied with his own predicament... rather than wallowing in self pity... it says 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 despite everything, despite what he was facing, despite what he was about to go through, despite what he was about to endure, He wanted to show them how important it is to serve one another in humility.
The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:3-8 that we should "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself..."
He humbled himself why? In order to demonstrate His love. It says that he now showed them the full extent of his love – how? By washing their feet. By His actions, by what he did Jesus showed that nothing demonstrates love more clearly than humble service to others.
Foot washing
Let me just say something about foot washing. In that culture the most demeaning task around was to wash the guest’s feet. It was job done by lowest slaves. It was necessary because back in those days there were no cars, or planes, or trains, or public transport. People went everywhere by foot and they wore sandals. They walked along trails that were not only dirty and dusty but also covered with camel and donkey faeces.
Their feet would get filthy and when they arrived at their destination it was common courtesy for the host to have his slave wash the guest’s feet as they entered the house. But this was such a demeaning task, that Jewish slaves were not required to do it. Foreign slaves were used to wash people’s feet.
And you can just picture the scene as Jesus and the disciples enter the room. They see the towel & water basin in the corner. But there is no slave to wash their feet. Perhaps some of them pause as they enter the room, wondering where the servant was. But remember Peter and John had been tasked to make the arrangements – this was a borrowed room – and they had obviously overlooked the foot washing thing.
As they recline at the table, each disciple feels a little uncomfortable. And they start thinking to themselves, “Somebody should at least wash Jesus’ feet. But - if I do that, where will that put me on the social pecking order – right at the bottom that’s where?
“I did it last time—its Matthew’s turn—he hasn’t done it in ages.”
“Peter and John were supposed to take care of all this – it’s their fault there’s no slave here so one of them should do it.”
John is thinking—“Look I’m over here leaning next to Jesus, I’m in spiritual intimacy. I can’t do it’.
Peter is thinking—“Don’t these other disciples know how important I am. Don’t they know the call of God on my life? Jesus called me the rock. He said he was going to build His church on me. They should all be over here right now washing both mine and Jesus’ feet.”
If we are honest - we all know that that kind of thinking goes on in every church. “Somebody needs to take care of the Sunday school, but that’s not my ministry. Somebody needs to make the tea and coffee, but that’s not my job someone else can do it. Somebody needs to clean the toilets, someone forgot to put the rubbish out – but it’s not going to be me.
I expect each of those disciples were secretly hoping that somebody else would volunteer and were busy trying to justify in their own mind why it shouldn’t be them!
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody
Have you heard the story about the four church members called Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. One day there was an important job to be done in the church and Everybody was asked to do it. But everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but in the end Nobody did it. Somebody got angry that Nobody did it, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody just thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn’t do it. And so it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
And so here are these 12 disciples all leaning around the table hoping that someone was going to volunteer to get up and do this most menial of tasks – after all they were far too important. Much of their conversation for days before this had been ‘Kingdom Talk’. They’d been busy discussing about sitting on twelve thrones! ‘We’re going to be rulers, important people in the kingdom!” They were having debates about who was the closest to Jesus – who was the favoured disciple, who was the top disciple, who was pastors pet? Peter ssays, “It’s obvious that it’s me – I’m the rock on which the church will be built.” John says, “No, Peter. I am the beloved disciple.”
But then, amidst all this thought and dialogue of greatness, and power and prestige about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom - Jesus stands up, and without a word, and without any reservation, he takes off his outer garmet, picks up the bowl and the towel and begins to wash their feet.
‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of that love.’ By washing their feet. By humbling himself to carry out the most demeaning of tasks. And he says in verse 12 – ‘Do you understand what I have done for you? 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. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Misplaced sense of self importance
If there is one thing that prevents us from serving each other more than anything – it’s a misplaced sense of our own importance. Often we don’t get involved with the life of the fellowship – or with the lives of those within the fellowship – not because we’re too busy, or don’t have enough time, but because we think it’s someone else’s responsibility, we think that someone else will do it – because we’re too important to.
But look at verse 3, ‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power’. He had all things in his control. He had all power and could do all things. He could choose not to go through with the plan to provide salvation. But he said, ‘Not my will, but yours be done.’ (Luke 22:42)
He could have others serve Him while he was on earth, but he said, The “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45)
What did the God of the universe who was fully in control of all things do? John 13:4-5 – ‘he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.’
The job that was lowliest in the land and Jesus took it upon Himself to do. True Humility comes from having a proper perspective of who we are. Christ had no misconceptions about who He was.
He was not concerned about how others might perceive Him. He was God in the flesh and had full control of everything and yet He humbled Himself. And he calls his followers to humble service as well – ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you’.
George Washington
I love the story (I don’t know if it’s true or not) about the man in the American Revolution, who was dressed in civilian clothes and rode past a group of soldiers repairing a defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!" The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. And when the job was done, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again." The man was none other than George Washington. (Today in the Word, March 6, 1991.)
A call to Servanthood
Can I say that its not great people who will not serve others - it is insecure people - the ones who think that washing feet defines them as something less than others. Often when we think of servanthood the image that pops into our head is that of a butler, or a maid. When we think of a servant we are thinking someone who is lower class, not educated or a person of little authority.
But Jesus turned the idea of servanthood on its head. He said in Matthew 23:11 – ‘The greatest among you will be your servant.’ Not the lowly, not the least educated, not even the best dressed, but the greatest among you will be your servants.
That is not the picture we have in our heads of servants. But Jesus, in calling us to greatness, is calling us to humble ourselves and to serve others. To wash the feet of those around us.
We cannot pick and choose who we serve
Oh but hang on a minute – it’s alright for Jesus he washed the feet of his disciples – they were his friends, his colleagues, his companions – he probably even liked them. But look at the people I’m with – look at the people that surround me – I don’t even like some of them - surely he wouldn’t expect me to serve them - would he...?
Vs. 1 says, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love."
I think it’s interesting and significant that John tells us where those Jesus loved were; they were in the world. These disciples were not super spiritual people, they were not super saints. They were ordinary people. They were worldly people. These disciples at that moment were not an easy bunch to love.
• They’d all been arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24).
• One of them would betray Him
• One of them would deny Him
• Ten of them would desert Him
Even Judas was there – verse 11 says that “Jesus knew who was going to betray him…” There is Judas, full of deceit, full of hypocrisy, about to “stab Jesus in the back.” And Jesus knows it... and what does he do – he washes his feet. He doesn’t distance himself from Judas. He doesn’t point his finger at him and say , “How dare you—after all I’ve done for you?” Instead he loves him to the very end. He washes his feet with the same tenderness and affection that he gives the other disciples.
Can you wash the feet of your enemies? Will you serve the person though you know he or she will not return the kindness? You see foot washing isn’t about foot washing, it’s about serving others at personal sacrifice, humbling ourselves when we don’t have to--because we don’t have to.
Conclusion
What does it mean to wash the feet of others? It means humbling yourself - you get down where the need is – and you do something about it. In our culture the need is not to wash feet as it was in Bible times. But there are many, many practical needs all around us. Feet washers are those who see the needs and do something about it.
What if Christians became known for their humility? It would change everything. Literal foot washing would be a little weird these days, but what else could we do? Mow a neighbor’s lawn, help a co-worker with a project, pay school tuition for a kid in a struggling family, offer free babysitting for a single mom, or visit the residents of a nursing home or perhaps rub their feet and wash their sores.”
In 1989 Mother Teresa visited Phoenix to open a home for the poor. During that brief visit, she was interviewed by the local radio station. 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. Instead, she replied, "Yes, there is. Find somebody nobody else loves, and love them."
There will be times as a Christian that you’ll feel unappreciated, and taken for granted. You’ll not feel loved as you should be.
When that happens you should love others anyway. WHY? Because Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you”
Is there a need you can meet in this fellowship or outside of this fellowship? Is there someone near you who needs his or her feet washed - some practical service that could make that person’s burden lighter?
‘Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love...’
May the Lord open our eyes to dirty feet and give us a heart and the love of people to wash them.
