X0617............Jesus washes feet

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After 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.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus 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.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So 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?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

(John 13: 4-17)

Jesus is demonstrating a powerful principal in his kingdom.
He is once again, lowering himself, beneath those He came to serve.

He is not exaltiing himself as one who is over others in any way.

And then he says to Peter, who doesnt like or understand the whole thing, if i do not wash you, you will have no part of Me.

What is He saying?

He is saying that unless you let me be a servant, you cannot operate in my kingdom., you will be in a different kingdom, not mine.
He was telling peter, you don't understand servanthood, you don't understand ministry.
He must be a servant, beneath, lowly, humblest sense of the word.

We dearly love Peter, but He was going to make Jesus a noble over us, if he did not let him wash his feet. Jesus said he would understand after He did it. He needed to learn how Gods kingdom really works, how the sacrifice, the service, the lowering defeats the devil.

The enemies kingdom is always seeking to exalt itself, the fastest and easiest ways possible. It is there we find, bragging, boasting, title, rule, position, which he knows does not further gods kingdom, that's why he does it. It brings insult, injury, competition, and the pride that makes us fall.

the Lord knew there would be no time for such foolishness among us as we are to be busy serving out the gospel together, but the enemy has found a way to sneak in and cause the greatest division that is still hidden to us.
Our Lord wanted us free from all these earthly ties that would tear us apart, and the only way to do it is to be a servant, and wash feet.

As Jesus insisted upon this form of ministry, why are we putting ourselves above Him and doing something different?
We have subtle disobediences that are actually amounting to alot , though we don't see it.

Leadership and ministry was never meant to rise above or be more than what Jesus demonstrated here.

We are meant to operate as He did in the earth today, spreading the gospel as He directs and not excersicing authority over one another among ourselves.

25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; (Luke 22:25-29)

When Jesus was here, He operated under the authority of the Father, and the power of the holy spirit, this was an example of apostleship, small groups working together to further the gospel.
Then , when He ascended, He is to be the head of the church, giving us direction to further the gospel in small groups.

14
Jesus said if I then have washed your feet, so you ought to wash one another's feet. What was he saying here. He was saying never go above or beyond this example of ministry. And what is this example ? it is the proper positioning of the body of christ.
He explains He himself, Lord and teacher was no so great that He could not wash feet. A symbol of lowliness, and ultimate submission and servanthood.
Then he says we should follow this example among ourselves.
We should never position ourselves over one another, if we do we are actually going lower in his kingdom.

Washing feet is more than a nicety, it is more than an example of equality. It is an example of bending low to serve and staying there in the body, and then to the world.
It is an example unlike anything you will find in the world, and in the worlds way of thinking at large.
It says I am beneath you, I am willing to serve you and not exalt myself over you in the least. It is a privilege to serve.

This is actually Gods order. not the stiff, silence and forced muteness of the sheep we see in church today.
His order is one of service and His principal demonstrated here. We are never greater to one another.
This is the correct and HIghest alignment of position we can have in the body of Christ.

No position is the position.
Humble service is the highest position.
Chief among you, shall be your servant.

Jesus is Lord, He was chief servant, sufferer, and the ultimate example.

Washing feet is more than just a nicety, or a ritual that shows we are christians,
it is meant to be a working effort.

When we wash feet, it means we don't think ourselves too highly, and we remember to do something for another that no one else would want to do.
We change the diaper, pick up the clothes, wash and do ministry in this way. One of the reasons parenthood is such a godly thing is that it involves so much of these tasks, you are serving every minute for a child of god who cannot help themselves yet. This is the principal of the church, that we should go by all the time.
This is where needs are met, the neediest members find refuge in our arms, We are armed with the knowledge of service ,, and they do not have to go on hurting. It is how we are called to function,how the Lord intended it. If the needs of the poor are unmet, if they are unwashed, it is because we have not picked up the washcloth and soap. It is not the Lords fault. He laid out the plan in the bible, are we listening?

We become transformed as we understand what real service is, as we humble ourselves, our hearts are changed.

Jesus said this is how He served, and that we are not greater than He is, and this is how we should serve.

Certainly we are not greater than Jesus, and important to remember, we are not greater than one another.

Paul gives us a greater example of service to others as well.

7 ¶ Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your p erfection.
10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction. (2 Cor 13:7)

He is tenderly caring for his disciples in the Lord in the most unselfish of ways.
He says he doesnt want a feather in his cap,in fact, he doesnt even care if he is weak and despised as long as his friends are strong in the Lord from his ministry. This is Jesus example of no reputation. He lost it all too, didn't he.?
How they look to others is incidental compared to the spiritual growth they are concerned about in others. This is the way. The way and mark of a true leader. With Christ as our example. Not an accident that this was left in the bible. This is for us to imitate and, not be proud leaders and care about our reputation.

In fact, greatness in Gods eyes, and in his kingdom, involves being lesser than our brothers and the world., and serving them. Amen, Amen.