Reading the Bible Everyday – John 13

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #81.  Today we’ll read John chapter 13 together:  Jesus washes His disciples’ feet; He gave them a new command to love one another; and we read of Jesus’ predication of Peter’s denial one final time.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

The recounting of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, which you will read in this chapter, is better understood if we know a few details from that culture.  Typical footwear of the time was sandals or just bare feet.  Even if a person bathed in the morning, it didn’t take too long for his or her feet to get filthy.  So, a custom when receiving guests into one’s house was to have a servant at the ready to wash incoming guests’ feet.  Foot-washing duty fell to the lowliest of lowly servant.  It was not glamorous, and no one wanted to do it, so it was performed by the servant on the bottom rung.  Hence, Peter’s vehement reaction, which you’re about to read.  Interesting, though, if you’ve ever performed this ceremony at your church, and you maintain the mind of Christ, it is not the giver who is humbled but the receiver.  It comes across as a totally selfless act of love and is powerful in ways you cannot even imagine.  It makes me wonder if that’s exactly what Jesus wanted us to discover when He called us to be servants to one another. We also get a glimpse in a related act of simple service when we are in Tanzania.  There is no running water in most villages, so when it’s time to eat, someone – usually a young woman or a youth – will come around the living room with a basin and a pitcher of warm water.  She pours the warm water over your hands while you rub them together and gently shake them off over the basin.  For some reason, this humble act of service touches my heart every time. 

John Chapter 13:  1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 Now by the time of supper, the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterwards you will know.” 8 “You will never wash my feet-ever!” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.” 12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. 16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me. 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am [He]. 20 I assure you: The one who receives whomever I send receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” 21 When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit and testified, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me!” 22 The disciples started looking at one another-uncertain which one He was speaking about. 23 One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After [Judas ate] the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.” 28 None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. 29 Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night. 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once. 33 “Children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ so now I tell you. 34 “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to Him, “where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.” 37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!” 38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.

Let’s stay with the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  Did you notice how each detail of Jesus’ movement is described?  Each action?  Jesus takes off His outer garment, positions the towel, fills the basin with water.  It’s all so deliberate.  While this is going on, you actually see in your mind’s eye as realization of what is about to happen comes over the disciples’ faces.  They are somewhat horrified!  The exchange with Peter also allows Jesus to use the ceremony symbolically: the cleansing of the whole body that comes thru believing.  We do mess up though, so we have to ask for forgiveness – which is like cleaning only the feet.  When Jesus is finished, He says outright that He has given the disciples – and us – an example to follow.  To love one another.  Let’s pray.  Oh, Lord, this is such a rich and deeply intimate story of the love that You have for us and that we, out of that overflow from You, can love one another.  Help us to be gentle in our responses, Lord.  Expose us when we start to argue about who is the greatest.  Remind us to be servants to all.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.