One of my favorite things to do is to get a pedicure. While selecting a cool color to dot my tootsies is fun, what I really enjoy is the washing and massaging of said tootsies. There is something truly restorative about having your feet massaged by someone who is gifted in this area.
The Bible tells the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper (John 13). As the Passover meal is finishing, Jesus fetches a basin of water and begins to wash their feet. The significance of this is mind-blowing.
In those days, people did not wear Uggs or Birkenstocks to protect their feet. They wore sandals. Their feet were exposed to the elements and got pretty dirty as they walked around. Upon entering a house, there might be a servant to wash their feet.
This was a pretty lowly job – and a dirty one to say the least.
Now I suspect that since the disciples had already sat down to eat, that their feet had already been cleansed, so Jesus was not necessarily washing filthy feet. But, let’s not lose the significance of this action.
Jesus was surrounded by His closest friends. He’s going to be crucified in a hot minute and yet, who does He have on His mind? Not Himself, not even His ensuing death, but His peeps.
“…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (v.1).
Jesus washed ALL of the disciple’s feet…even Judas. Knowing that Judas would betray Him that night, Jesus washed his feet alongside everyone else. Talk about love. Jesus was a servant to the one who would serve Him up to be crucified…his enemy. Wow…just, wow!
It’s challenging to be humble, to love those who have hurt us. But that’s exactly what Jesus did and what He expects us to do as well. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus tells us to love and pray for our enemies.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44 NKJV)
Come again Jesus?
This is the opposite of what our flesh wants to do. In a world full of a “me, me, me” mentality, we are tempted, even pressured to do the polar opposite of this commandment. Love others? Serve others? Humble ourselves?
No way Jose!
We want to get even. We want to hurt them like they hurt us. We want vengeance. But Jesus was crystal clear in His command.
When we pray for and forgive our enemies, God steps in and redeems the situation. It looked like all was lost on Good Friday, but…then came Resurrection Sunday. Woo hoo!
Remember this: God always wins. Always. He will redeem that situation with your enemy. He will cause you to triumph. But, we must humble ourselves and forgive them. And let’s face it…don’t we want God to forgive us for the dumb stuff we do?
So, if the Son of God can humble Himself to wash the feet of His disciples, even the one who was the conduit to His crucifixion, then who are we to decline the occasional slice of humble pie?
P.S. If you are struggling to forgive or to let go of past hurts, then I want to encourage you to watch or listen to the Elevate The Day Podcast, “How To Let Go of Grudges”. Let God heal your heart so you can enjoy the blessings He has in store for you.