Serving a Betrayer

"... He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet..." John 13:5

     No one was excluded. That night, Jesus washed the feet of every disciple - including the feet of His betrayer. He had sacrificed His throne in heaven to walk among corrupt humanity. In the form of a man, He had sacrificed His family, His time, His energies, His personal needs and comfort. He had poured Himself out into the lives of others unendingly - and especially into the lives of His disciples.

     And yet... when they entered the Upper Room that evening, not one of His disciples offered to wash the dust off the feet of the One they called "Master". Instead, it was He who knelt and served them in this way:

·         He washed the feet of the disciple who would deny Him

·         He washed the feet of the disciple who would doubt Him

·         He washed the feet of the disciples who would go to sleep just when He most needed the support of close friends

·         He washed the feet of the disciples who would run away in preservation of their own lives, leaving Him to face His suffering alone

·         He washed the feet of His closest human friend who would "follow at a distance" when His hour of arrest came

·         He washed the feet of the disciple who had already gone behind His back; who would prove most treacherous; who would betray Him...

     When He was done, He said, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" John 13:14, 15.

     How are we to do this? We are to set ourselves to serve others by "washing" them in and with and through the love of Jesus - not only those we naturally like or who are nice to us in return, but also those who:

·         Reject and disown us

·         Are skeptical and cynical of us

·         Accept our support, but are nowhere to be found when we are in need of support

·         Are self-serving at our expense

·         Distance themselves from us

·         Prove treacherous, and betray our trust

     If we are "not greater than our Master", then surely as His followers, we can do this much for His sake, and in His name, serving His Kingdom, and not our own.

   "... whoever loses their life for My sake will find it" Matt. 10:39.

Love so amazing, so Divine

Demands my soul, my life...

My ALL