Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Psalms 84-89
     New Testament Reading: John 13

When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you (John 13: 12-15).

Jesus spends His final evening eating the Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room. John records His farewell message to the disciples in chapters thirteen through seventeen, known as the Upper Room Discourse. John begins his account of the evening with the familiar story of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. While John is the only gospel writer to include this event, to understand fully the point Jesus was making, we need to look at some details the other gospel writers provide.

In Matthew chapter twenty and Mark chapter ten, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem with His disciples and James & John asks Jesus if they can sit at His right and left in His glory. The other ten disciples were indignant toward the two brothers. Jesus tells them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”(Mark 10:42-45).

Apparently, the disciples did not understand Jesus’ teaching that day, for the disciples continued to argue over which of them was the greatest. Luke tells us that at the Last Supper, a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. But He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called ‘Benefactors.’ It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving (Luke 22: 24-26).

John then picks up the story and reveals that Jesus got up from the meal, removed His outer garment, and performed the task of a humble servant by washing the disciple’s feet. The world teaches that to be a leader, you are to rule over people. But Jesus was teaching a different leadership, that of a Servant Leader.

Through this visual demonstration, the disciples finally comprehended the words that Jesus had spoken to them earlier. The apostle Peter would later write, Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock(1 Peter 5:3).