Washing Feet

“If I then, your Lord and your teacher, have washed your feet, you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14).

There is a very real sense in which an accurate measure of the love we have for Christ and others is the degree to which we wash the feet of God’s people. Note how Jesus put it in the text cited above. He told them that, even though he was their Lord and their teacher, his washing of their feet was meant to encourage them to serve others to the same degree. I’ve spent a good deal of time meditating on that passage this week. Further, I witnessed an example of such service that sticks in my mind.

This past week, I attended our District pastors’ conference in Germantown, WI. The Alliance Church in Germantown (Crossway Church) is a vibrant and growing congregation. Last fall they moved into a brand new worship center. The building still smells new. During one of the breaks in the conference, I left to go to the washroom. When I entered, I saw one of our district pastors washing the outside door of one of the stalls in the restroom. And by the way, this individual is the senior pastor in one of the larger churches in the district. He’s a good friend. I asked him what he was doing. He commented that he noticed a large “scuff mark” on the outside of the door. He thought that he would clean it because the building was new and he wanted it to look as good as possible.

Now as I’ve thought about that, I must tell you that I was quite taken by the manner in which he “washed the feet” of Crossway Church. It wasn’t his church. It wasn’t his responsibility to clean the door; and further, he was a guest who could have easily left the mark for others to clean. Yet he didn’t. His simple act of service, which would have gone completely unnoticed if I had not entered at that moment, is a perfect example of what Jesus meant in John chapter 13.

This now leads to a very simple question for each of us. In what manner are you actively and intentionally engaged in washing the feet of God’s people? And further, to what degree are we as parents teaching our sons and daughters to do the same? I believe it is as simple as this: serving is not an option, but a solemn responsibility. And further, the act of serving is something that must be taught to our children. One of my greatest joys is when I watch many of you, children alongside, serve in one form or another. Can I tell you, as an older father, that you are doing the right thing as you serve and engage your children in serving also? I am grateful that we are a church that relishes serving one another. Yet there are still needs. Check the bulletin to see what I mean.

If Jesus Christ could wash the feet of the disciples, I wonder what we might do to further abound in serving one another. Start small if need be, but start! God will be glorified and you will be blessed as you wash the feet of God’s people. And yes, feet can be smelly, but the resulting joy is well worth the effort!