Can you imagine wearing sandals in the day that Jesus walked? How about all those animals in and around the Temple area when the Jews brought in their offering for the Temple worship? Can you imagine all that "pooh"?
Exodus 12:11-13.......11 "Eat it with your traveling clothes on, prepared for a long journey, wearing your walking shoes and carrying your walking sticks in your hands; eat it hurriedly. This observance shall be called the Lord's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt tonight and kill all the oldest sons and firstborn male animals in all the land of Egypt, and execute judgment upon all the gods of Egypt-for I am Jehovah. 13 The blood you have placed on the doorposts will be proof that you obey me, and when I see the blood I will pass over you and I will not destroy your firstborn children when I smite the land of Egypt. TLB
Those walking shoes were sandals. There was mention of some women wearing a soft low cut boot type shoe, but most wore the sandal outside and wore no shoes inside. The significance of wearing them was based on the wearer. The shepherd's sandals were made of a stronger leather for the terrain they covered in their guiding sheep to pastures from valleys to hills. They had to withstand walking through water and mud alike, not to mention the pooh as well! Those people of wealth wore the better made sandal.
In Ezekiel 16:10 we find the more costly leather sandal. In this passage of scripture, the LORD is speaking of how He the LORD clothed Israel with the leather sandals probably made out of seal skin. The more regularly worn sandal was probably that of badger skins.
Ezekiel 16:10-14.......10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. 14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD. NIV
Exodus 25:1-8......25:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair; 5 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. NKJV
The same badger skin found in the sandals the Israelite wore was also found in the covering of the sanctuary, that temple of God.
As you know if you have worn sandals that the foot can become pretty dirty if you do not stay on the paved roadway or walk on the fine made sidewalk of concrete. As the sandal does not cover the entire foot, the dirt from any dusty pathway will find its way to those areas of your feet which are not covered, and sometimes will leave a nice brown line of sandal on your foot which you find in removing the sandals.
In Jesus' time, the lowest slave of any household was to remove the sandals from the guests feet and to wash them. That washing was to include anything else on them besides dirt. And remember this was dinner time! BUT we find Jesus washing the feet of His OWN disciples in John 13: 2-17.
John 13:2-17.......2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus 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!"
10 Jesus 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." 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When 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. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. NIV
Washing another's feet was the mark of humility the way Jesus taught in that the servant is not greater than his master, nor the messenger greater than the one who sent him. This was a serious act that Jesus gave evidence to in washing the disciples feet. Jesus brought intimacy to the disciples, his own in this world. Those He called, "the fisherman" were those He conveyed His love to and the call to minister that which would go worldwide after His walk to the Cross. It was in humility that He became the servant to wash their feet. He removed those sandals and pooh, to clean away that of the world, and replace on their feet that which He came to teach. He put on them a foundation of Him the manifested Word that could be touched.
Luke 22:24-30............24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." NKJV
Now remember that the disciples argued among themselves in Luke 22 about who was to be considered the greatest. Jesus told them even then, that " he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. These disciples were too proud to serve and there was no one to serve as in cleaning their dirty feet while having their last dinner together.
John 12:24-26......24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
NKJV
Our serving others is the most important thing Jesus pointed to when ministering this foot washing to them. Yes, a dirty job indeed, and someone had to do it. It was the protocol for the least of all slaves to wash the visitor's feet when they came into the house.
A lowly task that was possibly a dirty one and who would want to perform such a thing? Jesus knew He came to serve others. In our thinking how do we relate to serving another? I always think of our daughter when she first got a job in her high school years. It was busting tables first before she was promoted to being Hostess. She worked hard those months cleaning after every family left the table at which they were served.
She would see more food on the floor under the table than on top of the table in the plates. So it took extra time to clean and have ready for another customer. On the weekends, people would be standing in line for a clean table, and her job was to see the floor was as clean as the table top. There were days she spent more time on her knees than standing on her feet!
She did her work without complaining, and she got her promotion after many, many clean-ups that involved the floor as well. In some instances of her cleaning, someone would give her a tip for the job she did on that mess!
When we volunteer for something, is it something that is the "important" job? Is it the most "respected" job that we seek to do? Or are we willing to clean that which no one likes to do, like the bathroom?
Everyone wants a microphone and everyone wants to sing, but not everyone needs a microphone nor can everyone sing!
The disciples certainly argued in the past of which we read about in Luke 22 and Luke 9:46. The greatest were not the heroes. The greatest He spoke about were to be the obedient and humble in serving.
I remember serving in cleaning the church for two full years and that included the bathrooms. My husband and I did it with another couple and we cleaned every other weekend. I remember for about six months we had this issue with some young little man desiring to not go in the commode but to get it all over the walls and floors. We would always find it after the fact, so I started confessing that I was going to know who did it. I told my husband that we needed to confess that we would know who it was and get this stopped before it became a real nightmare! It was work keeping those bathrooms clean and just one person could make a disaster in it in just seconds. Well, finally after a few months and asking people to keep watch when taking the youth to restroom, I was standing in the hallway next to the restroom for men and women. I had taken a five year old to the restroom and waited in the hall. Lo and behold, the urine was flowing under the door of the men's restroom, out into the hall and onto the carpet. So I waited, and yes got the culprit who committed the act. With help of a teacher, our daughter, and the person available to clean, my husband,cleanup began in the men's restroom. The mother was notified of the son' s behavior and was watched weekly.
Even in those occurrences, do we continue to serve?
It should be our desire to fill the need we are well qualified to fill. I cannot speak for you, but for me, I always see the need for a prayer meeting. I delight in seeing one is going and if not, then I start one with the Holy Spirit leading me. I always try to find those who desire to be in the Word and to study it. I usually invite those in the church to come. I have even invited neighbors to come as well.
Ask anyone who came to one of those Prayer Meetings and they will speak about the food as well as the prayer time together. With help from our daughter, we put on a feast of food as fresh strawberries and pineapple to dips like Spinach Artichoke with pita chips. We brought bottles of water and the coffee maker for hot coffee or even hot chocolate to be served. And last but not the least, there were simple little cheesecakes that were just right sized for one wonderful bite! The greatest times we had in the Word and in prayer came together like a family enjoying some great snack foods to be refreshed and enjoy!
The Lord's supper was one to be enjoyed and relax. Even in the presence of enemies, Jesus served His fellowman. He taught and He washed feet! Jesus gave them the foundation of His teaching in preparedness to go forward in "the kingdom which had come". Fill the spot that needs some help. Fill that area which you are qualified to do. And who qualifies us...........God does! In Ephesians 6:15.......we are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace!
For whatever our feet can bring us to, it is by repentance and believing on Him that have salvation. By His teachings He armed them with truth that would fight against persecutions, temptations, and any trap the enemy would try to put before them. He even had to confront Peter about his not wanting his feet to be washed.
That word would establish them to serve others.
Is there love in our hearts to serve others. If I bring you the word of God in prayer, am I bringing something also to serve you the person? Does love show up in that serving, or is it just pomp, and fluff that "I am important" and the important one? Does love really show up in all that we do and all that we speak to others? I like what people write or speak about when they come back from the mission's field. You can tell a whole lot about if Jesus was the One they went for or if it was for themselves! You can certainly hear it in what they speak and what they write about.
That Supernatural was presented in Jesus as He was preparing for the betrayer, Judas to do his best work. Jesus reinforced that the Gospel was about peace. It was that which established peace between God and man. It also would be proclaimed to the world. Jesus was showing His love and exhibiting that whatever laid ahead of His path, He was not going to allow the strife, quarrels or human adversity effect His walk to the Cross. He showed His character in love and compassion for those He came to save. He took no part in chaos!
May God open our hearts to see with His eyes that which is the servants heart to serve others. Not to serve in the importance of the serving task, but the serving that is willing to remove their sandal and the pooh too! That with willing hearts we will seek to serve others and give them that which God desires us to give them in the super of His spirit and truth!
Father, thank You for the opportunity to serve others. It is in Jesus' name we pray to have hearts to see the importance of serving, that willing to wash another's feet. Jesus was our example of being the humble and the obedient. He came to show us what the "kingdom of heaven" was like.
In the example of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-35) we see that the seed sown was indeed the least of all the seeds, but when grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree for birds of the air come to make nests in its branches.
What has been placed in us, whatever gift, may it be that which we know is small at first, but grows like the mustard seed. What we plant today Lord, we plant to Your glory. May it be all that which You have called us to be and to do for our fellow man. We ask for hearts to be open to see how we can expand seeking to sow into other's lives. If we just gave water last time, may we feed them next time. If we just gave them some crayons to color, maybe next time we should give them a whole bag of markers. For wherever we seek to serve, from the child to the adult, from the bathroom to the pulpit, may we be those who are humble and obedient to know that the true leading comes from a heart that truly loves others.
Father, if any come to us, whether in ministry to prayer meetings, teaching in the youth departments, or singing to large groups of teens, help us to know the importance of giving above and beyond what we hold in our hand. We give You all the glory for what happens in the next encounter in serving our fellow man, woman, or child. Amen.
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