What Kind of Feet Do You Have?

I gave this message at Fort DeRussy Chapel in downtown Waikiki Hawaii. The congregation is an older congregation and has many visitors from around the United States. Many of these members and visitors have served in the military. It is a blessed chapel and if visiting Hawaii I encourage you to attend this chapel.

John 13:1-17

 ¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

 ²The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
 ⁷Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
 ⁸"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
      Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
 ⁹"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
 ¹⁰Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
 ¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ¹³"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The book of John is not like any other gospel. John lived the longest of all the disciples. In his Gospel he gives us the three Passovers, and the seven miracles. The focus of his gospel was to encourage belief in Christ as the means to have Life in God.  For us we will look at the last Passover where Jesus washes the feet of the disciples.

Jesus had spent three years with the disciples preparing them to go out into the world to carry the message of life. Jesus knew that this was going to be the last lesson that would impact the disciples’ understanding of salvation.

The custom of washing the feet before dinner in the times of Jesus was much like our washing of our hands before we eat. However, one difference today we sit at a table that allows us to place our feet under it. Back in Jesus’ day the table was only about 2 feet off the floor which made placing your feet under the table very difficult, but placing your feet in and around the table would be unclean by any standard.  This brings me to the first of 9 short points about the need to come to the table prepared to partake of the meal.

Today as we look at the last Passover I would like to make a connection to the need of Jesus to cleanse us and the need for salvation. This morning I will make a correlation between our lives lived out and our feet, I ask you to answer this question as I make these connections, “What kind of feet do you have”?

·        Dirty feet = Clean Heart

We all need to reflect upon the motives of our heart. Many times are feet carry us towards sin. For this we need to understand that as our heart is filled with sin and we are in need a savior to cleanse it. Thus Jesus cleaned the feet of the disciples to impress upon them the need to have a clean heart as a messenger of the Gospel.

·             Tired feet = Worries of Life

After a long day of walking and traveling you can only image how tired you would be if you walked several miles in sandals. This brings me to my second point there may be some here this morning that have had a rough journey in life. They are weary and worry about the things of life. So Jesus cleaned the disciples tired feet as a reminder that there is a God that desires to carry their worries in life and will always be with them through the power of the Holy Spirit.

·             Bruised feet = Bruised Emotions

Third, there were times along Jesus’ journey with the disciples that some experienced bruised emotions. Here the bruised feet of the disciples remind me of the bruised emotions we encounter in life when compassion and understanding is not considered. Jesus offers to those whose emotions have been busied the ability to persevere.

·             Feet that betray Him = Guilty Actions

The next example that I draw from the service of washing feet by Jesus is the betrayal that Judas plans against Jesus. Jesus knew that he was going to be betrayed by Judas, but he stills offers to wash his feet. Today the table is set for all of us. We are all not worthy to partake of the table but Jesus offers to us all an opportunity to search our heart and receive grace for guilty actions we have done against him.

·             Feet that deny Him = Unwilling Submission

In life there are times that we all have been given the chance to represent Jesus, whether in a conversation, an action, or to share the good news.  Jesus cleaned the feet of the one who would deny him three times, the one who said not just my feet Lord but all of me. Today Jesus offers to help us with our unwilling submissive spirit to stand up and say a word of testimony of what he has done in our life.

·             Feet that run in a moment of crisis = A need for Strengthened Faith

Next are those that run away in a moment of crisis. Their feet give up in the spiritual physical fitness test. Their spiritual life is crushed when life happens, i.e. divorce, terminal illness, financial issues, loss of job, retirement, etc… Today Jesus offers to those grace that can strengthen and encourage faith.

·             Feet that run to follow Him = A Servant’s Heart

Jesus calls us all to service. This morning there are many here that have feet that follow Jesus and serve in this congregation and have for years. Some may even have served here longer than I have been alive. To you Jesus offers the grace of a servant’s heart. And asks that you continue to serve because you make this a welcoming united body of believers that many come back to visit every year.

·             Feet that bring good news = A Life that Lives the Message of God’s Grace

The last point I see in this passage this morning are the feet that go out and share the good news. Jesus after he had washed all the disciples feet said to them to do this for each other when ever they met. He said those who’s feet go out and share the message of grace would be blessed. And I tell you the truth I have been blessed to be called to the ministry of the chaplaincy.

This morning as we partake of the Lord’s Supper, Remember that it is not something we do as a ritual. John Wesley said, that if baptism is the birth of a new creature in Christ then the Eucharist is the nurture of that birth again and again.

Thus as you partake of the means of grace this morning allow Christ to:

Cleans the dirt from your heart, care for your worries, heal the bruised emotions you may have, remove the guilt that you have carried, relieve the un-submissive heart towards God, so that your feet can follow with a servant’s heart and share the message of good news.

Amen…