Moments to Ponder
Pondering is a lost practice today.
The idea that we might actually take a few moments to think deeply about anything seems indulgent in our busy, full schedules. Yet, our souls crave rest and space to breathe, process our lives, choices, and walk with Jesus. I invite you to join me fora few moments to take in Scripture and take away a few thoughts to ponder throughout your day.
Moments to Ponder
Jesus washed Judas's feet too, and that changes everything.
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Jesus washing his disciples' feet stands as one of the most powerful demonstrations of servant leadership ever recorded. Picture the scene: the disciples arguing over who's greatest while their Master silently rises, takes a towel, and kneels before them to perform a task reserved for the lowest servants.
What makes this moment so profound is that Jesus knows exactly what's coming. He knows his "hour has come." He knows Judas will betray him. Yet he washes every foot in that room—including those that will soon run away from him in his darkest hour, and those that will carry Judas to arrange his arrest.
The disciples' reactions reveal so much about our own struggles with service. Peter refuses initially, finding it too uncomfortable, too humbling to have his Master serve him. Many of us share this discomfort—we'd rather be the ones giving help than receiving it. But Jesus gently teaches that sometimes allowing ourselves to be served requires greater humility than serving others.
When Jesus says, "Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them," he's not establishing a ceremonial ritual. He's calling us to a way of life where we constantly look for opportunities to serve, especially in ways no one else wants to. Those moments when we think "that's beneath me" or "my time is too valuable for that task" are precisely when we most need to grab our towels and kneel.
What "foot washing moment" might God be calling you toward today? Who needs your humble service, even if they can never repay you? Remember that in the kingdom of God, greatness is measured not by how many serve us, but by how willingly we serve others.
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Hi friends, welcome to Moments to Ponder. This is a podcast designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word, gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout your week. I'm Butsy Marvin and this is episode 138. A few years ago my small group ladies and I did a study by Margaret Feinberg. It was called Taste and See. In it Margaret looks into a variety of different foods from the Bible, like the wonder of salt, fish, olives and bread. It's also full of recipes. She filmed the teaching videos while she was in Israel and in one of them she has dinner, a Passover meal, with a family in Galilee.
Speaker 1:I've participated in a Seder meal many times, or a Passover meal, so I kind of knew what to expect. But to actually see the children search for the hidden matzah, all of the food and laughter and joy, it was really fun to see. I think sometimes when we read of the Passover, we think of a ceremonial kind of meal with straight back chairs and so many pieces of silverware we don't know what to use. But in Jesus's day they would most likely have reclined at low tables placed in a U-shape, as they said, the hakadah together. What a perfect setting for a final meal with his disciples. As we begin, john 13,.
Speaker 1:It is now Thursday Passover, and Jesus knows his hour has come. Before the Passover celebration, jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Heskariot, to betray Jesus. 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. Disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
Speaker 1:According to the custom of that day, slaves or servants awaited guests at the front door and washed feet so that when those that came reclined at the table right beside each other, their dirty feet would not interfere with their neighbors' eating. There must not have been anyone there to do it that day in the upper room, and no one else thought to wash the feet of the others, so the disciples just came to the table dirty feet and all. Luke in his gospel doesn't write of the foot washing exactly, but in Luke 22, 24, he mentions that the disciples begin to argue about who is the greatest among them ever in their competition and posturing mode. Jesus knew that his actions in this moment would speak louder than words. Did he want to teach the proud arguing disciples about humility, what better way than to wash their feet? When Jesus gets up, grabs a towel and basin and kneels at the feet of that first disciple, they must have been speechless and maybe even a little embarrassed. But Jesus just takes it in stride as he removes sandals, washes and then dries the feet of those he loved.
Speaker 1:Verse 6. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, peter said to him Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus replied you don't understand now what I'm doing, but someday you will. No, peter protested you will never wash my feet. Have you ever had your feet washed? When I get a pedicure, there is a sense of getting my feet washed, but it's not a foot washing that is meant to imitate what Jesus is doing with his disciples right here.
Speaker 1:What Jesus is doing is a very different thing. It's humbling, it's intimate. In fact, I've seen people refuse to have their feet washed because, well, it's just too close for comfort. Yet there's something deeply good in accepting the service of others. If we only serve and refuse to be served, it could be a sign of deeply rooted pride or shame For Peter.
Speaker 1:His refusal of having Jesus wash his feet could have been, well, a little bit of both. When Peter refuses, jesus replies unless I wash you, you won't belong to me. Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me. Simon Peter exclaimed Then wash my hands and my head as well, lord, not just my feet. Jesus replied. A person who has been bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet to be entirely clean. And you, disciples, are clean, but not all of you. For Jesus knew who would betray him. That's what he meant when he said not all of you are clean. Oh, peter, ever the one of extremes. Jesus knows that someday soon, peter will understand this moment. But on that day, the Peter who walked on water with those same feet, who climbed a mountain and saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus, who preached the good news and cast out demons in Jesus' name, that Peter needed his feet washed. The disciples don't seem to understand metaphors well, but they will.
Speaker 1:Jesus, at this point, is speaking of spiritual cleansing the initial washing done by belief in him and what he has done for us on the cross. Then the continual cleansing of our feet is that continually coming to him for forgiveness in our ongoing relationship with him, as we grow in faith and trust and keep our connection with him pure. It's interesting to realize that in this moment, jesus would have washed every disciple's feet, even Judas. What would that have been like? Do you look in Judas's face and see the disappointment there, the confusion of a Messiah king stooping so low as to wash feet? This was not the Savior Judas was looking for. I don't know if I could have done it To humbly serve someone I knew was going to betray me, but Jesus does. He fully loves and fully cares for his enemy in this moment.
Speaker 1:Verse 12. After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked Do you understand what I was doing? You call me teacher and Lord, and you're right, because that's what I am. And since I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
Speaker 1:I tell you the truth Slaves are not greater than their master, nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, god will bless you for doing them. I am not saying these things to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the scripture that says the one who eats my food has turned against me. I'm telling you this beforehand so that, when it happens, you will believe that I am the Messiah. I tell you the truth Anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me. Anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.
Speaker 1:Now, jesus was deeply troubled and he exclaimed I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at each other wondering whom he could mean. Psalm 41.9 says Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me. Matthew 26 brings even a bit more into this story. When Jesus said one of them would betray him, we read in Matthew that they all started asking Is it me, is it me? Even Judas asked Rabbi, is it me? To which Jesus answers you have said it. Judas is aware that Jesus knows what he's up to. His secret is known and although the others aren't aware, we pick up in verse 23.
Speaker 1:The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon Peter motioned to him to ask who is he talking about? So the disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked Lord, who is it? Jesus responded it's the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl. And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Heskariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, satan entered him. Then Jesus told him Hurry and do what you're going to do.
Speaker 1:None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night. John on one side, judas on the other. It's an interesting seating arrangement and John, prodded by Peter, innocently leans into Jesus and asks who is it? Peter innocently leans into Jesus and asks who is it? We get the impression that Jesus quietly answered John as he dipped the bread and handed it to Judas, because none of the others pick up on it. They saw Jesus share from his own hand, which was actually a sign of friendship and esteem. They didn't think anything of it, as he loved them all. But for Judas this must have been a gut punch as he's dismissed with the words that only he and Jesus understand, and with the taste of the olive oil and bread still in his mouth, judas leaves the room and goes out into the darkness.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we imagine people are against us, even when they're not. We read into situations and become suspicious or even afraid. But Jesus knew Judas was against him and he still loved him till the end, even to the point of honoring him by serving him bread At any point. The foot washing, the betrayal question, the bread. Judas could have repented, but he doesn't. And Jesus doesn't reveal that to the others either. I've had the honor of being a part of foot washing moments. There's something both simple and profound in the taking up of someone's feet, scooping water over them and then gently drying them with a towel. I've also experienced someone washing mine. It's amazing and humbling. It's amazing and humbling.
Speaker 1:Nt Wright, one of my favorite commentators, speaks of a tradition in one church where the senior pastor washes the feet of 12 people on Maundy Thursday. He speaks of it being holy and intimate, a time when the one who is the head serves the one who is the least no-transcript. And then he said more. He said in verse 14, I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet. You ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
Speaker 1:I tell you the truth Slaves are not greater than their master, nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, god will bless you for doing them. He gave us an example of what we're to do as his disciples, and even though they didn't understand the Judas element, they would. They and we are to serve and love as Jesus did. Even those who would betray and hurt us were to help others and do the menial things. Even those things no one will see, because Jesus would. And I know it's hard, but we can't allow our pride to hold us back. We may not even realize it's pride, but whenever the thought comes that well, that's beneath me or my time is too valuable to do that job, that's most likely when we need to grab our towel and kneel.
Speaker 1:Today, foot washing has become a ceremonial act to remember what Jesus did. But for Jesus it was the job of a slave and he did it. None of the others thought to do it, they thought it was probably beneath them, but for Jesus it was exactly the job he knew he needed to do. When we're willing to do those things, when we're willing to do the things no one sees, when we're willing to clean something that maybe we didn't make the mess of, those are those moments. Those are foot washing moments, Dear one.
Speaker 1:Jesus has shown us clearly what we are to do. We are to look away from ourselves and at those who are around us, asking where can I help? Who can I serve? And, whether it's insignificant or not, jesus wants us to show his love and honor his name. There's so much more we could talk about in this passage, but for today, in this Lent season, in this Lent season, how can you be the hands and feet of Jesus? Who do you need to serve with your towel and basin? Jesus tells us that we will find blessing when we do as he did. Amen.