08
Jul '20

Doing the Dishes

Posted on Jul 8, 2020 in Uncategorized |

08
Jul '20

John 13:1-17  

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
 

I remember a movie that a pastor shared with his group at camp one weekend. I wish I could find a copy of it. I have looked but have had no success.

The name of the movie is “The Jesus Roast.” The movie is a take-off on the old “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” specials that were on TV from 1974 to 1984. Ask your parents or grandparents!

In this movie, the scene is the Last Supper, and at the supper, the disciples are “roasting” Jesus, sharing stories about their time with him over the past three years. They share stories and memories. But when each of them are done with their monologue, each of them say something like, “Jesus, I love you, but I am NOT doing the dishes.”

The movie continues as each disciple speaks. Then, Jesus gets the last word, a rebuttal, if you will. In the movie, Jesus stands up at the table, he turns to his disciples on his right, and then to the disciples on his left. He doesn’t say a word. Instead, Jesus grabs a towel and a basin of water, and Jesus washes the dishes.
 
Washing feet of others. We don’t do that very often at home when a guest enters.
 

But we do wash dishes. Oh, how I hated washing dishes. I used to figure out any way to get out of doing it (no dishwasher in the house but us four boys). We all hated it.

Jesus washing the feet of the disciples is an act of a servant. Think of it, the Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords, bending down to wash the feet of his followers. I imagine that was a task the servants hated, too!
 
 

But this is who Jesus is. He is the one who comes to serve and not to be served.

What does Jesus tell the disciples they ought to do? Wash feet. But notice that he tells them that AFTER he has done it himself.

Maybe our response needs to be, “I love you Jesus. Let me help you with the dishes.” 

 

Let us Pray: 

Dear God, we give thanks for your Son, the Servant King. Washed clean, may we humble ourselves and take up the tasks at hand. Even if it’s doing dishes. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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