Know Them, Do Them

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

KNOW THEM, DO THEM

John 13:12-17

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

NIV

Although there was a spiritual significance in what Jesus had said to Peter about not being clean unless Jesus cleanses him, there is still a very real and physical significance to the act he did in washing the feet of his disciples. He explains it clearer than anything any of us could put into words. We can be certain that Jesus was not setting up another religious ritual to be performed at every time we break bread and drink from the cup. But what he was showing them was an example of true humility. Yes, he was their Lord and teacher, yet he did the most menial task for their benefit, normally assigned to the lowest of servants. This was especially meaningful as they would become the leaders of the church, as we see throughout the book of Acts. Some of them would be inspired to write the accounts of Jesus, some would be inspired to write letters to members of the church throughout the known world, some would have disciples of their own, teaching and guiding them into spiritual maturity and sending them out to establish more churches. It was essential they understood the requirement of being humble and willing to perform the most menial task for the benefit of others, no matter what position or title they held. We certainly are in need of learning that lesson as well. We cannot afford to allow pride to get in our way of being a follower of Christ. We cannot afford to allow our education, our skills or talents, our financial situation, or worldly position, or even our pastoral or ministry position to become a stumbling block to serving others as our Lord served us. Is any one of us any better than any other? Are we not all but sinners saved by grace? What matters of our position in life? We are to serve one another as Christ served us. Yet at times it seems we allow jealousy and envy, or conversely, pride to get in our way of being a servant to our fellow believers, shame on us. What would Jesus think of us when we refuse to serve another because they already have more than us and can serve themselves or they have so much less than us, we cannot seem to understand them enough to serve them? What would Jesus think of us if we refuse to serve each other because we have such a high opinion of our self? what would Jesus think if we do serve each other because we think we are too young, too old, too tired or simply to uninterested? It is easy for us to say we are to humble ourselves before the Lord, but not so easy to say we should humble ourselves before men. We are especially in trouble in the cultural of today with woman’s rights being so prominent. There are woman we really struggle with humility toward men, and men struggling with humility toward woman. This should not be, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and should all follow the example Christ set for us, serving one another. If we want to be blessed we will do them.