OUR LORD WHO HUMBLY SERVES OTHERS AND TEACHES US THE SAME

In John chapter 9, on the night before Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus and His disciples were in an upper room where they had just completed the last supper.

At this point, God the Father had placed everything in heaven and on earth under Jesus' power. Jesus, now at His strongest, having power over all of creation, undertook the washing of His disciples' feet.

The passage reads this way;

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. 

Jesus, in this meticulously staged object lesson, was demonstrating that His kingdom was one of humble service toward other people. 

At first, Simon Peter, understandably, did not want His Lord to wash his feet but Jesus insisted  by saying that evading this foot washing ceremony as a lesson in humility would disqualify Peter from sharing in Jesus' mission.

Peter, realizing his mistake, then asks the Lord to not only wash His feet but his hands and his head as well.

Peter now understood that participating in the foot washing ceremony to learn the importance of humility was a qualifier to be part of Jesus' mission so he enthusiatically asked for additional washing so that he could be even more integrated with Jesus' purpose.

This little window into Peter's personality gives us a view of his whole-hearted approach and his willingness to go all in to get the best and most of God.

Jesus assured Peter that the foot washing was enough but we can see how Jesus appreciated Peter's attitude and told him that he was already clean enough to have what God had for him. 

Let us bless our Lord who teaches us to be humble and shows us that participating in the lessons that the Lord teaches us, qualifies us to be part of the Lord's purpose for us.

Amen.