Every Christian worth his salt knows what happened at the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His 12 disciples, the nite before He was to be crucified to death. What a 'meal' it turned out to be. Instead of their stomachs feasting on food, it was their dirty, smelly, dusty, feet which were treated to a bath from the Master's own hands. The hands which created all life in the entire universe, hands which painted the rainbow, stilled the storms, blessed prostitutes and healed lepers, hands which multiplied bread and fish, hands which cast out demons and raised the dead...Holy hands holding yucky, human feet...no wonder Peter blanched at the thought and protested when Jesus reached him. No wonder all of them were stunned into bewilderment - what on earth was Jesus doing, half-naked, kneeling before them, in the posture of a slave doing the job of a slave? I have often wondered, what went through their minds and hearts when Jesus explained, " Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you....Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."(John 13:14-15,17) What went through Jesus' own mind, as He went round that circle, knowing He was going to die the very next day? How could He have washed Judas' feet, knowing this was the one who was going to sell Him out to the enemy?
I have had my feet washed in similar manner only once before in my life in private, by a dear sister who felt called to do it on me. Indeed no one would do this kind of thing unless there is a very strong urging from within one's spirit to do as Jesus did. Christians don't go around grabbing and washing other people's feet just for fun or out of feet fetish. Neither is it for showing off how 'spiritual' one is. Washing another's feet is serious stuff; as serious as an oath-taking, it amounts to a sacred consecration of service before self for the person who performed the act. But it wasn't just one-sided. For the person on the receiving end, it represented a spiritual cleansing as a follower and believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer. That was why when Peter protested to Jesus, "You shall never wash my feet,” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me." (John 13:8)
When my feet were washed that one time, I remember feeling thoroughly overwhelmed that someone would honor me so much. If I were somehow able to translate and transport that personal experience back into ancient history, I could never for the life of me express my sense of unworthiness at the thought of Jesus, my Lord and my God, washing my feet. It's...beyond comprehension that the Almighty God of the universe would 'downgrade' Himself so much as to kneel at the feet of man to prove and illustrate a life-lesson in true humility. The point is obvious - if He can and did do it, so must we who claim to love God. A wise man said, 'Humility isn't thinking lowly of yourself, it's not thinking of yourself at all.'
I didn't choose to wash my staff's feet, honestly I didn't like the idea at all. As a matter of fact, I had pretended not to hear the call when my heart felt the first tug from God. But as usual, He doesn't let me off that easy. First He sent a sister with a word of confirmation to prompt me. I wised up as I stared at my own towel that I had 'so happened' to bring from home that morning as a prop for our weekly drama session with the kids, which 'so happened' to be that particular Bible episode of Jesus washing His disciples' feet, where again 'so happened' I was to be narrator. When so many 'so happened' happens, I know God is trying to get my attention. At such times I have learnt from experience I better just do whatever He calls me to do, if I want to get what's good for me, even if, especially if I am disinclined to obey.
And so it came to be, by the time I finished washing 20 pairs of feet and sharing God's word as revealed to me thru that dear sister, I was moved to tears as I realized this wasn't just a very graphic object lesson and timely reminder for all of us to walk the talk of loving one another by serving each other. I was so convicted - He whom I call Lord, Savior and Master had set the example - for me first and foremost. Who am I to talk about loving and serving if I am not prepared to do what Jesus did?? It's easy to kneel before God; but to kneel purposefully before a fellow-man is quite another matter. Once I did it however, there was such a freedom in my spirit, a release from the heavy burden of and for the kindergarten that God had given me to head. I had never asked for the responsibility, I had dragged my feet over accepting this 'promotion' ever since day 1. Talk about a reluctant heart. I knew I had neither desire nor patience to do the job. But thanks be to God, 2 years down the line, now I can testify to the truth of His promise, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9) Without me being aware of it at all, He has grown me into the job, and shown me the way that never fails - the path of love that leads to Calvary's cross - a laying down of self for others I am called to serve - anywhere, everywhere, anytime, every time - even when the going gets tough, even if it means being misunderstood, challenged, disliked, hurt, betrayed, hated and yes, 'crucified' if need be.
I think I must be doing something right. After the event, someone hugged me and whispered into my ear, "Well-done, good and faithful servant". I tried very hard to remember who it was, but I can't. I like to think it was an angel; for how is it that this Bible verse was quoted to me when no human knew what was going on in my mind then?? The words that every follower of Christ surely longs to hear when we face our Maker. What a blessing given me - to hear them now...an encouragement to carry on serving, continue loving, and keep dying to self daily, so that I may hear those precious words again from the mouth of Jesus Himself, when I stand before Him in eternity time. Meanwhile...
I will never look at feet the same way again.
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters...Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." - 1 John 3:16,18
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