Devotionals

The Least and the Greatest

by Precieux Orhue
06/25/15
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“So He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” – John 13:5 (NIV).

This particular part of the bible gets to me every time I think about it. This may not be regarded as one of Jesus’ biggest miracles but I consider the washing of the disciples’ feet perhaps the greatest lesson He gave. He exposes an astonishing principle in God’s kingdom that ordinary human reasoning may never fully comprehend – one that seems illogical to worldly wisdom.  

Picture the scenario: Jesus and His disciples were seated for supper – the last supper. Luke tells us that during this supper, the disciples argued among themselves who was the greatest and the least. Then Jesus stands up, takes off His outer clothing, wraps a towel around His waist, pours water into a basin, and without a word, He stoops low to begin washing their feet one disciple at a time and dries their feet with the towel. I can only imagine how everyone in the room on that fateful evening must have stared at Him in astonishment. There must have been an awkward silence across that upper room. The image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation who was before the beginning and created all things, and in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:15-18), stooped to wash the feet of men!

How would I describe the feet of an average man over 2000 years ago? Obviously, they didn’t wear cover shoes, boots or sneakers in those days, so their feet were dirty. How dirty? The common means of transportation then was by foot, and the roads (which were not built with tarmac) were dusty, and sometimes sewers ran off through the streets into surrounding valleys. It was the custom that when one enters a home for supper, his feet must first be washed clean. This duty was delegated to the least person in the home – the servant. In this case, there was no servant, so Jesus assumed the role and washed everyone’s feet.

They may have been caught up in a dumbfounded silence but when it got to Peter’s turn to be washed, he asked the question that was probably on everyone’s mind, “Lord, are you washing my feet?”  Jesus replied “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” Knowing that this function was meant for the lowly, Peter insisted, “You shall never wash my feet!”  But Jesus said “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me”, and He washed his feet like the others. Why did Jesus wash the disciples’ feet? What does this teach us?

 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:42-44.

The Lord Jesus teaches us true humility. He teaches us that in God’s kingdom, true greatness lies in serving. He demonstrated this by leaving His heavenly throne even though He was God, He took the form of a bondservant and the likeness of men, and He was humble and obedient to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:5-8). He therefore received the greatest reward ever for such exemplary humility. He was highly exalted and given the name which is above every other name. That same name He bore when He walked the earth in the likeness of men. The name of Jesus, at which every knee in heaven, on earth, and those under the earth will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Let us follow our Lord’s example of true humility, knowing that God will exalt us in due time (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). For even when we are considered the least in the eyes of men, we are dignified before God.