Wednesday in the Word...John 13:5-11...appropriate decorations for a church in Maine

The picture shows a transformed sanctuary for the month ahead.  One of the seasonal industries of the Down East Maine region is the tipping of evergreen trees and the making of wreaths.  Semi-loads of them will head to the Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C. to decorate the graves of our soldiers.  I have a great place to sit at times during this season of hustle and bustle.  A place of quiet to view the manger, the cross, and the star while songs speaking of the coming Messiah play in the background.  

Today's Wednesday in the Word has us back in the Upper Room and picking up the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet.  He has risen from the table, laid aside His outer garments, taken up the towel and the basin, and girded Himself to be in a position of service.  A reminder again to us to be servants like Christ that we need to do likewise.  We rise up to meet a need; we lay aside our agendas; we pick up the tools He has given to us to use; and we gird ourselves to do more than say but to actually do.  Today we cover John chapter 13 and verses 5 through 11.

v. 5 - Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 

You can see the picture that John is painting.  Jesus with the pitcher pouring out the water into that metal or clay basin.  Positioning Himself at the feet of the first disciple and guiding his foot or feet into the bowl.  To keep track of the towel it is tied around Himself which He unties to use as He wipes the feet dry.  I can imagine that there are conversations that are going on between Jesus and each disciple.  Remember, this is just prior to the institution of the Last Supper, the betrayal in the garden, and the separation of them by the cross.  It could have been dead silent but I think Jesus would have some very important words for each one of the individually as He does in the next few verses with Simon Peter.

v. 6 - So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 

Simon Peter sees the irony of it all.  It should be the other way around.  Simon Peter should be washing Jesus' feet but here is the Master serving the servant; here is the Rabbi tending to the student; and here is the Son of God washing His creations' feet.  

Maybe the question is more like the statement, "My feet are not worthy to be washed by You."  Or maybe Simon Peter is thinking this is beneath someone of Jesus' stature to do something reserved for the lowest of the household slaves.  

v. 7 - Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 

Sometimes Jesus does and says things that we don't understand yet.  We are in the dark about it at this time.  We have to say, "I don't know."  It doesn't make it wrong and it doesn't have to make us doubt.  Some things come alive to us later when God knows we are ready to understand it.  This picture of servanthood would come to fruition for Simon Peter after the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord.  He would have opportunities to mimic Jesus' touch on others lives and the impact it would make.

v. 8 -  Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 

Because Simon Peter doesn't understand fully what is going on, he refuses what Jesus is doing.  I wonder how many times I have shut Jesus down.  How many times has Jesus come to wash my feet and because of my pride or my independence I said, "No thank you.  I can do it myself.  Go help someone who really needs it."

Jesus comes quickly back with an answer that this action is very necessary for Simon Peter.  It is one not to excuse away.  The washing of Simon Peter's feet by Jesus was more than just something done before dinner.  Jesus was doing something that represented salvation like taking the bread and the cup and making them represent His body and blood later in the meal.  If we don't let Jesus wash us, figuratively, then we are not saved.  You can not be saved or washed by anyone else.  You can not wash yourself.  This would be a works based salvation that is false.  

v. 9 - Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 

Simon Peter is catching some of it.  He definitely does not want to be apart from Jesus.  If this is what it takes to be with Jesus then not just wash my feet but my whole body.  I think I would have said the same.  More is always better, right?  This could also be Simon Peter being Simon Peter who at times would distinguish himself from the rest of the disciples.  He was the one speaking up while the others were silent.  He was the one getting out of the boat when the others were still at the oars.  He was the swinging a little sword while the others were thinking of ducking and running.  So Jesus gives him a little more understanding so that this would not be an issue of pride but humility.

v. 10 - Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 

When salvation has come to us through Jesus Christ and our sins are forgiven and we are bathed, we will again sin.  Our feet will again become dirty need a wash.  The full bath of salvation is not needed again.  Maybe we could think of the picture of baptism as a picture of all of our soul being clean, a once for all chore, but now just our feet has walked into something they should not have, a sin to confess.  

We come to Jesus with repentance and confession of that sin and He washes our feet again.  If we are saved, we are clean and as Jesus says, "completely clean" but our feet will get dirty at times.  Jesus makes a distinction that not all the disciples are clean.  At least one of them does need the whole body bath and not just the feet.  

v. 11 - For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

In light of the sovereignty of God, Jesus names Judas Iscariot as one to walk with Him for 3 years but knew he would be the one who would betray Him.  He would be among all the teachings and miracles but would also go to the religious authorities and receive money to turn over Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus would provide what Judas Iscariot needed like every other disciple in a common grace way, (food, clothing, shelter) but saving grace was not upon him.  

He was the weed among the wheat not to be pulled until the harvest.  He would have a very different ending.  Both Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter would deny Jesus and Simon Peter even three times as pre-spoken by Jesus.  The unsaved one, the unwashed one, Judas Iscariot would hang himself, but the saved one, the washed one with dirty feet, Peter would come to Jesus for a cleansing of repentance and go on to see the risen Lord and serve Him the rest of his life.   

Let us come to Jesus as often as needed to have our feet clean because He made it possible for us to be completely clean before the Father by His full and atoning sacrifice.  May we also see who we can show that same grace to others when their feet are dirty and they need someone to show them what is needed, a willingness to be washed of this sin by Jesus.

Adam