Introduction:
A. In the opening monologue of the movie Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks’ character recalls his mother’s words about shoes: “My mama always said you could learn a lot from other people’s shoes; where they been…(Pointing to the shoes of the woman sitting next to him on the bench). Those look like comfortable shoes. I wish I had a pair of shoes like them. I bet you could walk all day in shoes like that.”
1. The lady sitting next to Forrest Gump replied, “My feet hurt.”
2. Feet do hurt, especially if you have been walking or standing all day.
3. In fact, experts tell us that there are 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments in the human foot.
4. Furthermore, foot pain can create pain in the legs, hips, and back.
5. What’s even more astonishing is that the foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands.
6. No wonder our mothers always told us to put on clean socks!
B. Did your family have definite rules about what you could and could not do at the dinner table.
1. Like no elbows on the table, or not talking with food in your mouth, or washing your hands before coming to the table?
2. A minister named Joseph Smill, says that one of the dinner table rules for his family was that nobody sat at their dinner table with bare feet - you had to wear shoes at meals.
3. He says that he often questioned that policy saying, “Mother, I am not planning to pick up my food between my toes. Why do I have to wear shoes?”
4. And his mother would say, “Because your feet are dirty, and we don’t want dirt at the dinner table.”
5. Joseph had a comeback for that: “So the issue is not footwear, the issue is dirt. Mother, what if I wash my feet at the same time as I wash my hands? Then can I come to the table without shoes on?”
6. His mother would say, “No, they are feet and feet are always dirty. Put on some shoes.”
C. Joseph Smill pondered that saying over the years and saw profound spiritual insight in those words.
1. He says, “Feet are always dirty. I don't know that my mother knew that she was making a profound theological statement, but she was. Feet are always dirty. We constantly walk through the valleys of temptation, we wade through the swamps of despondency. We climb all over the jagged boulders of despair, and we run down the slippery slopes of anger. Our feet are always dirty.
2. “But whereas my dirty feet, exposed and grimy, were not welcome at the dinner table, let me tell you about a Table where dirty feet may be placed. Whereas my unshod and unwashed feet were banished from my mother's table, let me tell you this morning about the Father's Table, where, in fact, no other feet but dirty feet may come.”
3. It was dirty feet that showed up at the dinner table of Jesus that day when the last supper took place, but thankfully Jesus knew what to do with dirty feet.
I. The Story
A. Today, as we continue our sermon series on the life of Peter, called “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” we want to sit with Peter at the last supper and experience what he experienced, and learn what he learned.
1. Ultimately, Peter learned a powerful lesson in what it means to be a servant that night when Jesus washed their feet.
2. You see, the Lord Jesus, on the night before He was betrayed, took a towel, and prepared to wash the feet of His disciples gathered at the Table.
3. He knew those feet were dirty; He knew those lives were unclean, He knew those hearts were impure, but He knew too that He had the remedy - He washed their feet.
B. But I am getting ahead of myself, let’s set the stage for this lesson in service.
1. The disciples had gathered with Jesus for their final meal with him before His crucifixion, but they didn’t know that.
2. They were all there - James and John, Judas, Peter, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon the Zealot, and all the rest.
3. Reclining around the low table, they chattered in a nervous tone.
4. The apostles knew that something was up.
5. Jesus seemed pensive and quiet - He talked, but it seemed as if he had something on his mind, and indeed he did.
6. Jesus, as he ate that meal, knew that before long Judas would come with a kiss, the Roman soldiers would come to arrest him with swords, and soon he would be standing before Caiaphas and Herod and Pilate.
7. In less than twelve hours he would be hanging on a cross.
C. As Jesus ate that meal with them, having these heavy things on His mind, Luke tells in his version of the story, that a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. (Lk. 22:24f)
1. What disappointment their words must have brought to Jesus that evening.
2. “I’m the number one apostle…No, I’m more spiritual than you…You guys are crazy, I brought more people to hear Jesus than any of you. So, there!”
3. As they argued, the basin and towel sat in the corner, untouched.
4. No one moved except Jesus.
5. Without a word, he removed His robe and took the servant’s wrap off the wall.
6. Taking the pitcher, he poured the water into the basin.
7. He knelt before them and began to wash and then dry their feet.
8. Can you hear the silence that must have come over the disciples?
9. No one dared to speak.
10. They couldn’t believe what Jesus was doing.
D. As you probably know, foot washing was a sign of common courtesy.
1. What seems odd to us would not have seemed odd in the first century.
2. Because most people wore sandals and the roads were dusty, even a short trip meant that your feet ended up dirty.
3. So it was common in the ancient world to provide a basin of water for visitors to wash their feet.
4. The custom goes back so far that the first four mentions of the word “feet” in the Bible involve washing dirty feet (Genesis 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24).
5. In each case the water was provided so that the visitors could wash their own feet.
6. This was simply common courtesy in those days.
7. And in fact, not to offer water for a guest to wash his feet would be a breach of etiquette and an act of unkindness to a guest.
E. Do you remember how that insulting breech of etiquette was inflicted upon Jesus on one occasion?
1. In Luke 7:36-50, when Jesus visited the home of Simon the Pharisee, a pleasant dinner was interrupted when a woman who had been a prostitute came and knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping because of her remorse over her life and her love for Jesus, and then drying his feet with her long hair.
2. Simon was scandalized by this shocking, outrageous behavior.
3. But knowing what he was thinking, Jesus rebuked Simon with these stinging words: Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet” (vv. 44-46).
F. Another thing to keep in mind is that foot washing was the work of slaves.
1. In those days you normally washed your own feet after the host offered you a basin of water.
2. You knelt down, removed your sandals, washed your feet, and then dried them with a towel.
3. If a man had servants, they might be delegated to do the job for you.
4. This was the mark of a high achievement in society - that servants washed the feet of your guests.
5. But under no circumstances would the host wash the feet of his guests.
6. The master would never stoop so low as to wash the feet of others, even those he respected.
G. And so it is no wonder why the disciples were silent as Jesus performed this lowly task, and it is no wonder why Peter said what he said when it was his turn to have his feet washed by Jesus.
1. The Bible says: 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:6-8)
2. In these words of Jesus, we learn such an important lesson – we learn that the cleansing work of Christ is necessary - It is critical.
3. See, we cannot clean ourselves up. We cannot cleanse our own filth. We cannot remove our own sin.
4. Our feet must be in His hands.
a. To place our feet in the basin of Jesus is to place the filthiest parts of our lives into his hands.
b. Jesus wants to wash the grimiest part of your life and mine.
5. But we must let Him do the washing.
a. The water of the servant comes only when we confess that we are dirty and need cleansing.
b. Only when we confess that we are caked with filth and have walked the forbidden trails can we be cleansed.
6. We tend to be proud like Peter, and we resist.
a. We say, “I’m not that dirty, Jesus. Just a few drops is all I need.”
7. But that is such a lie - We are sinful people.
a. John says in his first letter, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 Jn 1:8, 10)
8. Brothers and Sisters, we must come to grips with just how dirty we have been, and how much Jesus has cleansed and continues to cleanse from our lives.
9. The man’s mother I told you about earlier was right: “Feet are always dirty.”
a. No amount of scrubbing and washing can make feet clean enough for the dinner table.
b. We are helpless to do anything to overcome our sin problem – feet are always dirty – sin always makes us dirty beyond our ability to get clean.
10. We need the help that only Jesus can give - Jesus is able to cleanse us from all sin.
11. And so what Jesus said to Peter is also true for us: “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”
H. But the good news for us this morning is this: when we meet around our Heavenly Father’s Table, we all have dirty feet, but they have been cleansed by Jesus.
1. When Jesus cleanses us, His cleansing is sufficient even though it may not appear to be complete.
2. Peter, having been told that the washing of his feet was absolutely necessary, responded in a typical Peter way.
a. Peter was a man of extremes, and having said you will never wash my feet, now he went in the other direction saying: “Oh, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” (Jn. 13:9)
4. Peter was saying, “Jesus, if it means that I’m not going to have any part with You, pour the bucket over my head. Do the whole thing.”
5. And don’t you just love that? Peter quickly moved from the place of pride to the point of submission.
6. “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head.” - Give me, a full wash and wax job with all the detailing!
I. You can almost hear the chuckle in Jesus’ voice as he responded: 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (Jn. 13:10-11)
1. What Jesus was trying to say was: “Peter, I have washed your feet and that is enough. No, you are not perfect. You are not fully mature. But you have now received all that it takes to get you on the right road. You have the only thing you need.”
2. You see, when we are forgiven and cleansed through the blood of Christ, we are given the one thing we absolutely have to have.
3. But at the same time that does not remove the responsibility for own lives.
4. Christ does the one thing that is critical, but He does not do everything.
5. There is much for which we remain responsible in our spiritual lives.
6. Jesus’ cleansing power gets us started - He washes those dirty feet, but then it is up to us to keep on growing and serving
J. The disciples’ feet needed to be washed that day, just as we need Christ’s cleansing, but the cleansing wasn’t supposed to be lost on them, rather it was supposed to motivate them to share Christ’s cleansing with others.
1. After Jesus had washed His disciples’ feet, He tried to give them insight into what he wanted them to learn from His actions.
2. The Bible says: 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (Jn. 13:12-17)
3. The secret of forgiving and serving others is this: you will never forgive or serve anyone more than God has already forgiven and served you.
4. And what God has done for us and has given us, we should do and give to others.
5. Others will be blessed when we wash their feet, and we will also be blessed in the process.
K. Peter was certainly impacted by Jesus’ example.
1. As we continue to study the life of Peter, we will see how Jesus’ example with the basin and the towel remained with Peter throughout his life.
2. We see that Peter got this lesson on serving that day by what Peter later wrote in his first letter: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
II. The Principles
A. So, how can we learn to serve like Jesus and serve like Peter, who imitated Jesus?
B. The first principle is: We must understand that service is an expression of love.
1. If we are to understand why or how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and then died on the cross, we must begin by understanding his love.
2. At the very beginning of John 13, John shows us the heart of Jesus by writing: “Having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus now showed them the full extent of his love” (13:1b).
3. Jesus’ heart was filled with love as he washed his disciples’ feet.
a. His heart was not filled with anger, disappointment, frustration or disgust.
4. If we want to serve as Jesus served, it is important that we, too, begin with love.
5. Later in this same chapter, Jesus described how love is the core value of the kingdom of God: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (13:34-35)
6. There is no limit to what love can motivate us to do.
7. If we serve out of guilt, fear, or pride, our service will fall short of what it can be if we serve because we have loving hearts.
8. To serve like Jesus, we must love like Jesus.
C. A second principle is: Service springs from confidence.
1. The words, “serve,” “servant,” and “service” all sound like “weak” terms to the world.
2. They suggest tasks for the uneducated, the poor, and the powerless.
3. It is commonly thought that serving is only for those who cannot rise above it - One serves only because he or she is forced to.
4. Jesus, however, turned all of that around - The night he washed the disciples’ feet, he was not weak, inferior, or in any way threatened by the Twelve.
5. John gives us insight into Jesus’ self-concept: “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, so he got up…” and washed their feet (13:3).
6. What Jesus did, in service, he did from a position of confidence and power.
7. In order to serve like Jesus, we must have the kind of self-concept and confidence that only God can give us.
8. We must truly understand how loved and treasured we are in God’s eyes, then we will be able to serve with humility and boldness.
D. A third principle is: Service must be God-oriented.
1. Jesus was called on to serve those who had and were about to hurt him.
2. He was called to serve those who did not appreciate or even understand what he was doing for them.
3. Jesus was able to serve under these conditions because he knew that he was doing the will of the Father.
4. Likewise, the people we serve may not appreciate us and may even harm us while we are serving them, but we must continue to serve, because we know that we are ultimately serving God.
5. Serving for the Christian must not depend on results or the reactions of others, rather, it must depend on our commitment and faithfulness to God.
E. A fourth principle is: Service requires first being served.
1. When Jesus came to Peter and started to wash his feet, Peter questioned him, but Jesus told him he would understand it later.
2. Peter resisted, “No, you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus replied that it was absolutely necessary.
3. Jesus’ words to Peter reveal how destructive spiritual pride and self-reliance can be in our relationship with God.
4. If we think we don’t need God or his help, then we are in trouble.
5. As long as we think we have earned our salvation, we will never be filled with gratitude and humility toward God.
6. Consequently, we will have no desire or motivation for serving others.
7. On the other hand, when we realize that we have been saved only by God’s wonderful grace, then we become grateful, humble, and ready to follow our Savior’s example in service.
8. Being continually served by Jesus’ sacrifice is an on-going necessity for true Christian service.
F. A final principle is: Service is About Imitation.
1. After Jesus had finished washing the feet of his embarrassed disciples, he took his place again at the table.
2. An awkward silence probably followed as the Twelve waited for Jesus to say something.
3. Jesus broke the silence, asking, “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” (13:12-17).
4. Jesus served, and if we are going to be like him, so must we.
5. He has set us an example and we must imitate it.
6. And when did Jesus promise that we would be blessed? When we imitate him and do what he did.
7. Blessing comes after obedience and imitation, and not before.
Conclusion:
A. When Jesus had finished washing the disciples’ feet, he took off the towel, but he never stopped serving.
1. The next day he picked up a rugged Roman cross and willingly died for us.
2. Both the towel and the cross are fitting symbols for Jesus’ life.
a. Both are symbols of sacrifice.
b. Both remind us that what is dirty can be made clean.
c. Both demonstrate his love for us.
d. And both invite us to imitate his example.
B. The question that needs to be answered is: Will we follow his example. Will we also become servants?
1. Will we first let him wash our feet, removing our sins.
2. Then with gratitude in our hearts will we live a life of humble service?
3. Peter and the other apostles (except Judas) did.
4. And so did D. L. Moody.
C. Let me end with this story from Moody’s life.
1. A large group of European ministers came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s.
2. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight, but of course this was America and there were no hall servants.
3. Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers.
4. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but was met only with silence or pious excuses.
5. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes.
6. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.
7. When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined and they never knew it had been done by D. L. Moody himself.
8. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret.
9. Perhaps this episode gives vital insight into why God was able to use D. L. Moody the way He did - Moody was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true greatness” (Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence, (Victor Books, a division of SP Publishing, Wheaton, Ill; 1985), p. 98)
D. Let’s develop the heart of a servant – Like Jesus, like Peter, and like D. L. Moody.
1. Peter learned to serve, and he was blessed by serving.
2. And if we learn to serve, then we will be blessed by serving as well!
Resources:
The Life of Peter, F.B. Meyer, Edited by Lance Wubbels, Emerald Books, 1996
The Apostle Peter, James Houck, Xulon Press, 2009
Dirty Feet at the Table, Sermon by Joseph Smill, SermonCentral.com
Jesus Teaches Us to Serve, Sermon by David Owens
