Feet and Serving

This may sound like a strange combination, but I can’t get feet and serving off of my mind. I wrote about it in December, but one of my “moments” in Honduras was being at the feet of the people. Not just figuratively, but literally. We were at the feet of the people. We were on our hands and knees trying to fit children (and a few adults) with flip flops. I had a moment that is sort of difficult to explain. I knew I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing there.  It didn’t matter how sore my knees were; I was at the feet of the people. I was serving them. I could feel the presence of Jesus. He was teaching me to be more like Him. He was teaching me to serve. Thankfully, He still is.

I heard a message a couple of Sundays ago at Friendship in Athens about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. What a perfect message for me! It just reiterated everything I was already feeling. I have never gotten such a vivid image of what Christ actually did that day. I could visualize him putting the towel around his waist, preparing the water, and gently washing their feet. What a beautiful, yet humbling picture!

I haven’t been able to get the scripture off of my mind, so I’m going to share it with you. The Bible says:

“¹Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. ²And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; ³Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; ⁴He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. ⁵After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. ⁶Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? ⁷Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. ⁸Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. ⁹Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. ¹⁰Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. ¹¹For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. ¹²So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? ¹³Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.¹⁵For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. ¹⁷If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

Lots of things in Honduras caught my attention. One of the biggest things was all of the bare, dirty feet. When I was at the feet of the people, the scripture above came to mind. Jesus, the King of Kings, was willing to wash the feet of the disciples. He humbly stripped out of his clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. I can imagine him kneeling next to Peter. He taught Peter and the others how to be served. More importantly, He taught them how to serve. He gave them an everlasting example they we too should carry out. We must humble ourselves. We must get to the feet of the people who are in need. We must do the things that no one else wants to do or even sees a need for. That is what Jesus did, and that’s what He wants us to do.

Below are a few pictures of some of the feet of the people we served in Honduras:

 Would you be willing to wash their feet? Could you/Would you humble yourself as Jesus did?