The Servant King

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The Servant King – John’s Gospel chapter 13, verses 2 to 17

A staggering humility

³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death –
        even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:3-8

An astonishing act of love

²The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.
John 13:2-5

A King is to be served, but not so here. Washing everyday dirty feet was a cultural no-no in ancient times. A slave’s job. Disciples the are uncomfortable. Here a mini drama of the Jesus’ Incarnation and of His crucifixion. He was humiliated [humbled], they were too proud.

A cleansing love

⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ ⁷Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ⁸‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’ ⁹‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’ ¹⁰Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
John 13:6-11

Peter says “never!” No Lord, it’s beneath you! Jesus then showed the reality behind the symbol. ‘I must wash you if you are to have fellowship with me.’ As saints, we are clean. As sinners we need our “dirty feet” washed often. He still washes our feet.

A command to love

¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ¹³‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Up is down in His Kingdom. Do you have love that stoops?

New International Version – UK (NIVUK)