We Must Be Served; We Must Be Washed

 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean (John 13:6-11).

If I were to come and ask you today whether you are washed and cleaned, you might think it strange. Correct? A couple of times we have had foot-washing ceremonies in our home group meetings during the Lenten season.

(Please hold on to this thought for a while.)

The prerequisite for royal service is washing and cleansing (vv 6-11). What happens here is critical for every person who claims to be a follower and a servant of the Lord.  The crucial point is the statement found in verse 8: “You shall never wash my feet.”  However, humility requires receiving, not just giving.

Jesus tells Peter: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8).

There is a deeper, spiritual meaning to what Jesus is doing. A person has to be washed and cleansed by Jesus not only physically but also spiritually and emotionally before he can become a part of Jesus or before he can serve him.

Another way to say the same thing is this: before a person can ever serve Christ, he must be a part of Christ.  However, before a person can become a part of Christ, there is a critical prerequisite: that person must be washed and cleansed by Christ.

I would like to make two points here:

1. Washing is often misunderstood; even Peter expressed his disapproval.

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (v 6).

We have reason to believe that the table at the Passover meal was U-shaped and that Peter was seated at the furthest end from Jesus. Jesus probably came to Peter last. Perhaps Peter thought, “All these guys have missed the point by letting Jesus wash their feet. He wants us to protest, and proclaim that he is too great, and we are too unworthy, to have him wash our feet.” 

1. Washing has a deeper meaning: spiritual cleansing.

“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (v 7).

Peter did not understand at first. Neither do we. Most people don’t understand, and even object to the cleansing act of the blood of Jesus, missing the whole purpose of why he even came to this earth.

So now, would you like to join our home group at our next foot-washing ceremony? 

Prayer: We often find it uncomfortable to allow ourselves to be washed and cleansed by your mighty hand and through the Holy Spirit. We are more concerned about the process rather than the outcome of cleanliness and the resulting clean heart. Forgive us, Lord. We understand that we cannot serve you unless we let you wash us. Please wash us and cleanse us so that we might serve you for the furtherance of your kingdom.