December 6

“He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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.” — John 13:4-5

There are many pictures of Jesus the Holy Child in the manger, the Redeemer on the cross, the Conqueror with the keys–but none of them surpasses that of the servant with the towel and basin. We get the lesson of service. Jesus did not think his holy hands too fine for the washing of the feet of the twelve men who sat around the table. Many of us think we are too fine in the texture of our being, or too high in our rank among men, to stoop to lowly service like this! This picture of the Christ is a New Testament answer to all such pride and pretension.

Our service should be personal. Christ washed the feet of his disciples with his own hands. Too many like to do all their serving by proxy. They believe in washing feet–but they get some other person to do it for them. They will pay something to a missionary to visit and relieve the poor or the sick–but will not do the work with their own hands. This is not what Christ’s example teaches us. We would better do the serving ourselves.