A couple of years ago when our family was together, my daughter Christa decided that we should have a mani/pedi party. That is an occasion when we all give each other a manicure and a pedicure. She came in with all the equipment that she needed to get the party going. She had nail clippers, nail files, and the not-to-be-forgotten nail polish. She plugged in the foot massager filled with warm water and started the festivities. We first sat down with our feet in the water, which was heavenly in itself, but then, she pulled her chair up with a towel on her lap, took each foot and used her special lotions to make us feel like royalty. It started with just us girls, but then, the guys got in line, too. Foot by foot, she worked her magic. Foot by foot, oohs and ahs were uttered. She gave a gift that only someone with a servant's heart could give.

As I look at each day of this Passion Week, with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and chasing the money changers from the temple, we now come to what is called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. Most would recognize this day as the Last Supper of our Lord. The Bible tells us that after they had eaten the Passover feast, Jesus got up and washed the feet of His disciples.

John 13:3-5 – Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. (NLT)

As I read the Scripture, I discovered something that I had not noticed before. It says in effect that Jesus knew where He stood with God the Father, so He became a servant and got up and began to wash the feet of His disciples. Did you get that? Jesus was confident enough in Who He was in God's plan, to lower Himself to serve. Are we confident enough to be servants or do we go by some other measurement? The Pharisees of that time were more knowledgeable than anyone about the Scriptures, but would they have bent a knee to wash the feet of this motley crew? No! The disciples themselves were jockeying for a special place in the kingdom, but would they have offered to fill a basin and wash the feet of their brothers? Probably not! Sometimes, we serve with our knees bent, along with our elbows, patting ourselves on the back. We all tend to look at who we are in the eyes of the world instead of in the eyes of our Lord.

Ouch, that hurts! As I go into Easter, my fervent prayer is to be so confident of my place in God's plan that I will move ego and pride aside and have a servant's heart. Who am I? I am a child of the King, I am one for whom God made plans even before I was conceived, and God sent His Son to die on the cross for the likes of me. I think that should give me the security that I need to serve others.

John 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (ESV)

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we are overwhelmed every time we read this account in the Bible. Our God, Creator, and Saviour, we praise You as You lovingly wash our feet. You clean the dust of the world off and bid us, as believers, to make disciples of all people. We praise Your holy name. Amen.

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About the author:

Jeanie Nihiser <jnihiserj@gmail.com>
Geneseo, New York, USA
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