An Illustrated Sermon

It was the last night the Twelve Disciples would ever spend together with Jesus Christ, and it was the night before the Passover. They gathered together in an upper room to share a meal, a practice common among the leading rabbis of the day, a celebratory graduation dinner on the night before the great holiday of their people. Jesus broke bread with them, gave them sweet wine to drink, and informed them that the hand of his betrayer was with him on the table.

Talk of a traitor sparked a spirited discussion among his disciples, with each one in turn trying to one-up the others in his declarations of loyalty to the master and prospects of position in the kingdom. Jesus interrupted their talk with a rebuke: "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over each other. If you want to be great, be humble. If you want to govern, learn to serve." And when they faced him with blank stares, he arose from the table and took off his outer garments. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he took a basin of water and began to wash the disciples' feet.

It was the duty of a servant to wash the feet of the master's guests. Now Jesus took the duty upon himself, and they fell into uncomfortable silence. Perhaps he washed the feet of John first, a tender young man of seventeen and the youngest of the disciples. Next was Judas Iscariot, who had already betrayed him. Around the table he moved, washing one pair of feet after the other. And then he came to Simon Peter, the gregarious fisherman and one of his most vocal disciples. Peter drew his feet away from the hands of Jesus and protested, "You're not going to wash my feet!"

"Peter," Jesus replied, "You don't yet understand what I'm doing, but you will. But if you won't let me wash your feet, then you have no place at my table."

Sticking his big feet out to Jesus, Peter exclaimed, "Oh, Lord. Wash me feet! And my hands and head too!"

"Peter, if you bathed, then you're already clean. Only your feet need washing." Then glancing around at the spectating disciples, Jesus added, "But not all of you are clean." Perhaps his eyes even flickered over the guarded countenance of Judas as he said it.

And when he had finished with Peter's feet, he put on his garments and took his place again. Looking around at his suddenly silent followers, Jesus said, "I'm your teacher, and the greatest among you, but look what I have done. If I have washed your feet, you also ought to wash each other's feet. This is my example to you, for none of you is greater than me."

Remember, Jesus never called anyone to lead. He called us to serve, just as he served and gave his life as a ransom for many.