I’ll Wash Your Feet!

I’ll Wash Your Feet!
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. (John 13:1-5)
The scripture brings us to the place where Jesus is with his disciples just before the Feast of the Passover. The first Passover is described in Exodus chapter 12: one lamb was slain for every household and the blood painted onto the lintels and doorposts. This was done in order that the angel of Death would not slay the first-born son of the Jewish households, but only those of Pharoah's people, whom God had warned He would judge. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" the Lord told the children of Israel (Exodus 12:13).. God ordained that the children of Israel would commemorate the Passover every year to remember their deliverance, almost. Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. It was now suppertime, and by this time the Devil had Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, firmly in his grip, and all set for the betrayal. In spite of all this, Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything. He came from God and was on his way back to God. Jesus got up from the table, laid aside his robe, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He poured water into a basin, and one by one begin washing the feet of his disciples, drying them with the towel.
Jesus washing his disciple’ feet is a great display of serving. Feet washing is a way of saying to someone, “I am willing to take time to understand what you have walked through in life”. We are so often busy with our on lives that we don’t take time to really look at people who pass through or come into our lives. I am so moved by the woman in the 7th chapter of St. Luke. She came to the Pharisee’s house with an “alabaster box of ointment”. She stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.” (verses 37-38). Jesus had to walk through dung, dirt, and other stuff on the road, so when this woman was kissing his feet, dropping tears and using her hair to wipe them, she was kissing and wiping with her hair, everything he had walked through!
When dealing with that mean people with bad attitudes, try to understand, what they may be walking through…trouble with their children… problems on the job, or even bad news. Sit them down (encouraging them to take a load off)… and let them know that you will wash their feet!”