by Daniel McCabe
Washing the Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
Having spent the better part of the day buying and preparing a traditional Passover meal, Peter and John answered the knock at the door of the upstairs dining hall where they had been working with a mix of weariness and expectancy. Eleven men filed into the “large upper room, furnished and prepared” (Mark14:15) eager to escape the dirty and crowded streets of Jerusalem and to enjoy a dinner of roasted lamb and unleavened bread with a cup of wine to cool their tongues. Fifteen hundred years earlier their forefathers shared a similar meal before filing out of Egypt for their eventual destination—the Promised Land—and on this April night as thirteen men gathered to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh so long ago, twelve of them little suspected that on the very next day the Lamb of God would be slain in order to provide deliverance from sin and the promise of forgiveness for all who would believe. Perhaps John the Baptizer anticipated it best, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus had loved his disciples from the beginning, choosing them to serve alongside him despite their obvious imperfections; empowering them to defeat demons and disease; and showing remarkable patience with their ignorance. Now on the eve of his own death “He loved them to the end” (John 13:1) by taking up a towel and a basin of water to wash their dusty feet. Considered such lowly work that no Jewish homeowner would dare require the foot-washing of guests even of his own servants, the puzzled disciples experienced humility in action. Three years earlier John the Baptizer declared that there “comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7), publicly admitting that even the work of washing Jesus’ feet was above him; his words stand in sharp contrast to the petty dispute that broke out between Jesus’ disciples during their Thursday night Passover meal regarding “which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24).
Just a short walk south from Zion Gate and the south wall of the Old City of Jerusalem stands a pedestrian two-story building with a large upper room that tradition associates with the story of John 13. The present configuration of the room goes back to Crusader days, but archaeologists have discovered several layers of ruins that can be traced to a first-century Christian synagogue. Standing in the dark unfurnished room one can easily reflect on that night long ago when Jesus scrubbed the calloused soles of his disciples, patiently instructing them, “For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” From his example it is obvious that serving others knows no limits. Jesus loved the disciples despite their pettiness and ignorance. He loved them from the beginning; “He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).
He is our example and there are countless applications. Mow a neighbor’s lawn who’s on vacation. Wash the dishes before your wife gets home from work. Change a diaper for once. Cook a meal for a sick friend. In other words—find some feet and grab a towel.
Further Reading: Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; John 13:1-20
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.