Peter: What Can We Learn From Peter's Life?Sample

"You Shall Never Wash My Feet"

Jesus’s ministry was coming to its climax. Before facing the most difficult part of His mission, He shared a final meal with His disciples. As they ate the Passover together, Jesus did not let the opportunity pass to share what was on His heart. It was so incredibly important that His disciples grasp what He was trying to teach them. Important enough that He did something shocking to make a point.

When Jesus knelt to wash His disciples’ dirty feet, a job usually reserved for a slave, Peter once again demonstrated his bold, outspoken nature. He refused to let his Teacher, whom he knew was the Son of God and the Messiah, wash his feet. Allowing Jesus to wash his feet would show incredible disrespect for this Man that he considered to be of infinitely higher status. But Jesus was insistent, because He desperately wanted His disciples to learn to love and serve each other. He was setting an example for them to follow. If He could willingly and lovingly perform the degrading job of washing feet, so could they. Jesus went so far as to tell Peter that if he did not allow his feet to be washed, he had no part in His Kingdom. Learning to serve was that important.

At that point, Peter jumped in with both feet, as we have seen him do before: “Then don’t just wash my feet, but my hands and head as well!” Jesus calmly explained to hot-headed Peter that this was not necessary. Jesus wasn’t trying to give him a bath - just teach him and the others a powerful lesson about serving. In God’s Kingdom, a person’s real or perceived status did not exempt them from loving and serving others. Peter and the disciples were not to seek glory and honour. They were not to expect others to serve them, but to look for opportunities to serve as Jesus did. Jesus had spoken on this theme several times throughout His ministry, but it was important enough to bring it up again on the eve of His death. As Jesus said in verse 7, Peter once again did not immediately understand the gesture, but understanding would come later.

Reflection:

How would you respond if Jesus offered to wash your feet?

How does this story challenge you to serve others?