The Servant - By Johnny King

THE SERVANT

I could never forget the shame I felt when I discovered it was Jesus who had washed my feet.

We were all arguing about who was the greatest among us, vigorously defending our right to the best positions in the coming kingdom. When someone came sliding along the floor to wash my feet I never gave it a second thought, assuming it was the household servant. It was Peter who realized it first, and drew our attention to Him in his usual emotional outburst. While we were all occupied with pride and arrogance, fussing and fighting about place and position, Jesus, the Master was on the floor washing our feet.

How could we have been so stupid and insensitive? He had just told us that He was about to be betrayed by one of us, that He would suffer and His blood would be shed. But instead of thinking of Him in His time of greatest need we thought only of ourselves and our own selfish desires.

When He was through and had sat back down at the table He told us that we should wash each other's feet. He said that He had given us an example so that we would do as He had done to us and that we would be happy if we did.

After He left and then I received His spirit, I wanted to be more like Him. I began to wash feet. Whenever I had the opportunity I would wash someone's feet. At first my friends made fun of me. They suspected my motives. But as I continued, most of them learned to accept me and many came to expect it. They took for granted that I would wash their feet. I did. Some people felt that I owed it to them. I felt that I owed it to Jesus.

It was not always easy to wash feet. I was accustomed to looking at people eye to eye, not eye to toe. It took quite an attitude adjustment. I had to overcome the bad feelings I felt when washing the feet of someone who did not appreciate what I was doing. Sometimes I would get a kind word but most often I would not. I had trouble with the feet of those who treated me like a servant until I accepted the fact that I was a servant. 

It became a way of life for me. My hands became soft and always seemed to be clean. It seemed to me that my heart stayed soft and clean also. I discovered that it's hard to argue on your knees. It's also more difficult to be proud.

I thought I had finally lost all my pride and was truly a servant and could sincerely wash anybody's feet. But then I came to some feet that were so dirty and so stained that I was repulsed. I'd washed dirty feet before, but these seemed virtually caked with rust. They looked as though they had walked around the world bare. The filth of centuries seemed to cling to them. These were obviously the feet of one much lower than I.

Pride that I didn't know I had rose up within me. Feelings that I thought were long dead let me know they were alive and well. I was shocked at my own reaction to these filthy feet. Old familiar feelings stirred in me and jogged my memory. I had a sense of déjà vu.

I was back in the old room, sitting at the table. I was vigorously defending my right to the best and highest position. I was arguing with the others about who was the greatest. Then I discovered Jesus had washed my feet as I jostled for position.

All my shame came flooding back. Red faced and teary eyed I knelt and touched the dirty feet. Remembering that Jesus, my master had washed my feet while I was consumed with pride and arrogance, I began to scrape at the substance that was caked on these feet. Soon the water in the basin was stained a dirty, rusty brown. Slowly the true color of the feet began to emerge.

One stubborn spot would not come clean. I lifted the foot from the brackish water. I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand so I could better see. I rubbed the spot on the foot. I splashed water over it. Then, more gently I touched it. A scar ... 

I reached for the other foot, a matching scar. Gasping, I looked up - into the face of, Jesus! He was smiling. He said, "Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of your Lord." Luke 22:24-27 John 13:4-17