The Foot-Washing Savior

Quite a bit about identity. Who am I in Jesus.

Ever watch that show Dirty Jobs? Mike Rowe goes all throughout the US featuring some of the unsavory jobs that people do—worm dung farmers, skull cleaners, garbage pit technicians, avian vomitologist....you know, stuff like that.

Some of these jobs sound absolutely awful. But they pale in comparison to some of the jobs of the ancient world.

Sometimes I share illustrations that make you hungry. I won’t do that today. The Romans would hire vomit collectors—people would regurgitate their food so as to be able to eat more at the feast…and somebody had to clean up. Might as well grab a lowly servant to do this.

So many other gross jobs. I don’t even want to mention some of them....leech collector. When that’s a principle form of medicine, treatment, you gotta have somebody catch those.

Tanners…which we read about in the Bible was one of the most foul-smelling jobs…and a Fuller didn’t have it much better—he’d get a big tub filled with urine—soak the wool…and then stop it all out with his feet.

Another job—and this is one we’re going to look at today, would have been that of a servant whose principle job was to wash the feet of the guests at a banquet.

Keep in mind a few things here to set up this scene. They wore sandals. The streets were often filthy. Feet were the lowliest part of a human. To touch the feet, tie the sandals, weep at someone feet, etc. is a lowly posture.

Now also when people ate they didn’t have chair like we do today. That famous Lord’s Supper painting—not accurate at all. First of all, they weren’t white Europeans. Secondly, they didn’t all get on one side for a picture…and lastly, they weren’t sitting in chairs. They would recline. Lay on their arms kind of thing...

So where does that put their feet…all of them are back here in a row…and the servant can come and wash the feet without any of the honored guests even really noticing…that’s the goal…you shouldn’t notice the servant…you don’t care about their name, you don’t say thank you, you don’t give a tip, you don’t even acknowledge their existence. They are just a lowly servant…a nobody…a person (if we can call them that) offering a service that is due.

If you show up at a house or at a banquet and there isn’t a servant to do this…it’s a great shame to the host. People don’t wipe off their own feet…and it’s not cool to keep them stanky.

So, set up the scene here. We know from other gospel accounts that the disciples were the ones making preparation for this meal. It’s an important one…it’s Passover…it’s what we now know as the Last Supper.

All the disciples are there. Jesus is there…Look around…not a servant among them. Uh oh…what do we do?

Listen in...

John 13:1–17 ESV

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 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.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 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.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 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? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus washed their feet. He takes the position of the servant…the lowliest of lows…he stoops to serve. And then he says, this is what you’re supposed to do as well...

We also know from the other gospel accounts that at this meal…or right before this meal…there was a fight amongst the disciples. Which one of them is going the greatest! Who is number 1!

It’s also a little weird because Jesus has been talking about his death—so it feels a little like a, “dude, can I have your stereo” type of moment. When you’re gone—can I lead these clowns?

But Jesus has a valuable lesson for them…and for us.

A couple of people for us to focus on in this narrative. Judas and Peter. They seem to be in contrast so often throughout the Passion narrative—have you ever noticed that?

First we come to Judas Iscariot. Notice something here in verse 2...

“the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot”....

What does that mean? It means that Judas hasn’t yet entirely embraced that temptation. That’s the way John words this…It’s a thing that is rumbling there in Judas. A strong temptation…betray him...

And this is somewhat appealing to Judas because he has been discouraged by the Jesus movement lately. It doesn’t seem to be about power and prestige. He’s letting harlots break expensive vials of perfume on him. Do you know the kind of social status that could have given them…to have given that to the poor? It’d put them on the map.

And let’s not even talk about how Jesus comes riding in on a donkey and not a war horse. What kind of conquering hero is this? Judas is beginning to wonder if maybe he’s hitched his wagon to the losing team.

Maybe he’s not all that powerful. Maybe he doesn’t have what it takes to restore to us the kingdom. And all that is rumbling around in Judas’ heart…the devil puts it in his heart…

And that’s how he works right...

JOHN MARK COMER

But notice verse 3… “Jesus knowing that the father has given him all things...”

Knowing that he has all authority in heaven and earth. He IS powerful…He CAN tell anybody what to do…He is the guy in charge…now notice what happens…most powerful one in the room, the leader, the big kahuna, the one who is the reason why everyone else is in that room....

“rose from supper…laid aside his outer garments…taking a towel…tied it around his waist...”

John’s writing here is beautiful…he brings it to a screeching halt so you can see Jesus doing each little action...

Poured water…began to wash the disciples feet..and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

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There are ZERO stories like this in the ancient world. NO leader did this. This was appalling. This was beneath him. This is breaking the very fabric of society.

And let’s go back to Judas....what will this act do. It is a picture of the depth of Jesus’ love…as it says in verse 1…he loved them to the end…he loved them fully…he loved them to the very end of the story…he loved them all the way through eternity...

His love has him stooping. And rather than winning the heart of Judas…what happens…John tells us in verse 11—Judas was to betray him…this act, it seems, was like a final straw for him.

I won’t follow a stooping Messiah. I won’t follow a foot-washer.

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But Judas isn’t the only one. Peter also…we see in verse 6…it’s very emphatic. YOU would wash MY feet. This isn’t Peter necessarily being humble…it’s Peter defining Jesus’ role for him…

And this is important for us to understand, especially as we talk about identity and such. I am Peter—the guy who lays his life down for Jesus, I am Peter the faithful and loyal disciple to the end, I am Peter the guy who washes Jesus’ feet, I am Peter who would even go to prison, I am Peter the one with the sword who lops off an ear if anyone tries to touch my friend Jesus—

And so Peter is trying to get Jesus to follow his narrative...

But Jesus says, “you don’t understand what I’m doing right now…but you will...”

Then Peter argues a little more. You’ll NEVER wash my feet. I will never allow you to be in the position of my servant. I serve YOU. It’s not the other way around…and it’ll NEVER be the other way around.

Jesus is just as emphatic in his response…then you’ll have no share with me. Now why is this?

It goes back to something we learned at camp. Our camp pastor said, “You’re only as healthy as your secrets”. And then he went on to say, “to be 99% known is to be unknown”....now how does that relate?

It relates because if Peter doesn’t come to Jesus entirely open handed—here I am—in a dependent relationship, then he can’t come at all. If Peter cannot accept Jesus as the Suffering Servant…the one who washes feet…then he cannot accept Jesus as He actually is. If He can’t accept a Christ who serve him…then he cannot accept Christ.

Peter…still misunderstanding…says, “then wash all of me!” We love his loyalty…but Jesus informs him—you are clean, because I’ve made you clean. And that, friends, is the gospel.

We come to Jesus…dirty feet…broken, tattered, sinful, raging, disappointed, depressed, anxious, angry, rebellious…you name it. And we realize that we need Jesus. We need our identity to come from Him. We need His sacrifice…that’s what this is pointing to. This act is a picture of the much bigger act that is coming…Jesus, the good shepherd, takes on the very form of a servant, and gives his life as a ransom for many.

Now, there’s another way we could hear all of this. We could come at this with the posture like, “Yeah, I’m pretty awesome. I’m pretty amazing…Jesus ought to be serving me...” We might not say that out loud…but we’d flip this whole thing on its head.

Jesus helps us here too. I AM LORD. I am TEACHER. I didn’t do this because I actually am your servant…I’m giving you an example. This is what leadership is. This is what you are to do for one another…if nothing is too low for me…then nothing is too low for you. This is what you are supposed to follow me.

And so it humbles us. It takes away every last bit of pride…is there something that is too small for me to do? Something that is beneath me? Well, according to Jesus there is no way in which I’m not supposed to stoop to serve.

And I suppose there is a way in which even our pride could come out here…oh, how wretched our hearts can be…look at me, I’m following Jesus in serving better than anyone else! I’m the best foot-washer this side of the Mississippi. That’s silly…foolish.

This is a call for us on a couple levels. First, receive our identity and such from Jesus. Don’t be so prideful that we won’t allow him to wash our feet...

Don’t be so prideful that we think he OUGHT to wash our feet either. Receive this as it is…our Lord and Master…doing for us what we cannot do…making us clean…this is the only way.

But there is a missional call here too. Think of the great commission. Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus’ authority—calls us to stoop as well. That’s our mission.