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Daily Devotions

John

John 
Day 
Day 173

Lessons of faith and life

Text: John 13 : 1 - 20

LESSONS OF FAITH AND LIFE

Jesus taught His Disciples employing many methods. He expounded the Scriptures to them. He gave them practical field experience. They watched Him preach mightily. They observed the many sign-miracles He performed! Through all of them, He sought to teach them deep lessons of faith and life!

The multitudes never fully comprehended the lessons Jesus sought to teach them! The Jews rejected His teachings outright! The Disciples stood out from among the multitudes! They drank in the words of Jesus! They grew stronger through each lesson that Jesus taught! However, there were certain lessons that were harder to learn than usual. One particularly hard lesson was what it means to have a heart of a servant. Nevertheless, this was one lesson that had to be mastered for the sake of future ministry!

THE LESSON OF A LIFETIME

If ever there was a lesson that would be indelibly imprinted in the heart of John the author, it was this one described in the following text.

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things
into His hands, and that He had come from God
and was going to God, rose from supper
and laid aside His garments, took a towel
and girded Himself. After that, He poured water
into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet,
and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

John 13:3-5

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing! He knew that all things had been given to Him! He knew that He was indeed the Son of God!

However, the Disciples did not comprehend what Jesus was doing even as He prepared Himself to wash their feet! As He proceeded to wash and then to wipe the feet of the Disciples, they must have been so shocked they did not know how to respond! What was their Teacher doing? This was unheard of! This was shocking! How could He wash their feet? Should it not be the other way round? Yet, they had never washed the feet of their Teacher!

On two occasions at least, the Disciples observed two women who wiped the feet of Jesus! One wept and washed His feet with her tears (Luke 7:36-50). The other woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:1-8)! But they themselves had never washed the feet of Jesus!

The hands of Jesus had healed many! The same hands had broken bread for them as He presided over the meals they had together! Those hands had now washed their feet and wiped them dry! This was not done in jest! The solemnity of this act couldn’t be more certain! In stunned silence, disciple after disciple had his feet washed by Jesus Himself!

THE STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LESSON INTENDED

The Disciples did not understand this lesson! They had struggled with other lessons! They were certainly struggling with this particular lesson! Peter was struggling so much within his heart, that when Jesus came to him, he could not help but raise this point with Jesus. John recorded the conversation that Peter had with Jesus.

“Then He came to Simon Peter.
And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?'”

John 13:6

With an incredulous voice, Peter could barely state his question! He noted that Jesus was washing the feet of the Twelve! Laboriously, He washed the feet of each one lovingly! The Teacher washing the feet of His Disciples! How could this be?

Jesus quietly replied and said,

“What I am doing you do not understand now,
but you will know after this.”

John 13:7

This lesson could not be explained in words! This lesson must be experienced before it could be understood.

Peter protested, as expected! With a sincere heart filled with deep emotion, he cried out.

“You shall never wash my feet!”

John 13:8a

Peter meant well. He had owned Jesus as his Teacher and His Lord! He knew and had confessed with his mouth that Jesus was indeed the Son of God! But how could he allow the Messiah to wash his feet? He was bewildered! He could not let that happen! How could his fellow-disciples have allowed their Master to wash their feet! Why had they not protested?

Jesus was right in His remark! What He was doing to them by washing their feet, they did not understand! Only after He had washed their feet would they begin to comprehend this lesson. As Peter protested and refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, he received a stern rebuke from Jesus!

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

John 13:8b

What did Jesus mean by that? Was He serious? If Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, he would have no part in His ministry! Would Jesus really disregard him as His disciple if he refused to have his feet washed? What could Jesus mean? Peter was now even more stunned by this turn of events!

How should he respond to Jesus? He knew Jesus well enough to know that whatever He said, it would be fulfilled! Peter was torn between two things. He shuddered at the thought that his Master would wash his feet! He shivered even more at the implications of the words that Jesus had just uttered – “You have no part with Me”.