Day 37 | Jesus washes the disciples’ feet

Reflection

Foot washing was a pretty terrible job, reserved for the lowest servants in the household. Hot country, with lots of walking, open-toed sandals, dirt, and sweat. You get the picture. No one wanted to do it. And not just because it was disgusting. If this was you, there was no doubt about your status.

And yet here was Jesus taking it on. The disciples were astonished. This was the teacher, their master, their friend. This was not his job. Or theirs. It would never have occurred to them – or anyone, in fact – to do what Jesus did.

But this was an incredibly powerful way for Jesus to show what it really meant to be his follower. If you wanted to be his disciple, you had to get on your knees and wash each other’s feet. You had to learn how to serve because that is what he had come to do.

Service always has a purpose. When Jesus took each dusty, grimy foot in his hand, he was restoring and cleansing each one, bringing relief and comfort.

Service is not always easy. But even seemingly menial and unpleasant tasks can be transformed into beautiful acts when we see how someone else is blessed and helped through it, whether that’s washing the dishes or preparing quarterly accounts.

Living purposefully each day with a servant attitude can change the way we approach people and tasks. And sometimes it’s in the small, everyday acts of service – the blink-and-you-might-miss-it ones – that can have the greatest impact.

Father, thank you that Jesus showed what it means to serve, stooping to wash his disciples’ feet. Help us approach each day as an opportunity to purposefully love and serve others, whether friends or strangers, in the same way. Amen.