We are almost done. Today is Thursday. In Holy Week it is called Maundy Thursday. As this day drew to a close, Jesus drew closer to His end and He knew it.
If you were getting close to the last few hours of your life, what would you do? The meme that runs around on social media is that Jesus knew, and He washed feet. It’s a somewhat tired meme, but it is accurate. Jesus knew His life was entering the last day and last hours, but He chose to wash feet as a final act to set an example to His disciples.
1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
18I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
19Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
20Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
John 13:1–20 (KJV 1900)
When the meme comes around on social media the it tends to evoke a sense of shame. We aren’t getting ready to die and we don’t serve like Jesus served. My point isn’t to make you feel bad about what Jesus did in the last hours of His life. My point is to use this to get us to think about what we do with the time we have. Yes, we have duties to our families, wives and husbands, children, parents, and friends. But, what about loving our neighbors and not just the “neighbors” we know but those God puts in our paths we may never see again.
Heading into this Easter weekend consider the neighbor you know and what you might do for him or her. Consider the neighbor you don’t know who is a stranger you’ll never see again and what you might do for him or her. Consider the neighbor you meet on a regular basis in your daily life but haven’t bothered to get to know, and what you might do for him or her. Be the love of Jesus to these other people. Figure out how you can serve them in a big way or a small way. In that way you will have “washed” their feet. Oh, maybe you didn’t clean them up, but you might bring a smile to their face, and that cleans up their day a little bit. Sometimes, a little bit is all it takes, too. God bless and Godspeed.