Dressed for Success

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 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 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"

There are all kinds of television shows and magazines and websites which will teach you how to ‘dress for success.’ The idea, of course, is to be perceived as a successful person simply by the clothes you wear.

Jesus had this in mind when he arose from the dinner table and stripped off His outer garments, girded Himself with a towel, and began to approach each of His disciples. He had in mind to wash each of their feet.

For the King of Kings and Lord of Lords this was quite an example. Jesus had been teaching His disciples humility, and even exemplifying it on several occasions. But they weren’t getting the message. (Any more than we seem to.)

In a very real way, (in a way that we may relate,) the Lord of All Creation was putting on the uniform of a janitor, with ‘Jesus’ embroidered in red thread in a white oval on His chest, and He was bending down to scrub the nasty bathroom floor of an inner city gas station that has not been cleaned in weeks. (Or whatever task you may regard as completely disgusting and beneath your dignity or His.)

This is shocking in more ways than we may count. For those who have been following Jesus with a very real expectation of RAISING their station in life – after all they were about to be princes in a new kingdom – this had to have been one of the greatest disappointments of all time. Was this really happening? The offense of having your leader stoop to this indignity is palpable and disturbing. Especially so since His indignity is practiced on you.

And there you sit gazing down on the top of the head which will bear the crown of thorns, and seeing the flesh of the back which will be ripped to shreds, and feeling the touch of the hands which will be pierced and bloodied – as He gently washes your nasty, dirty feet. I think I know exactly how Peter felt as his mind worked out the equation of what was happening. “Is this the way a king would behave? What have I done? Who have I given my life to?” All without the slightest thought of the indignity of human sin that has led to this.
- Pastor Bill