S166P10 – The good disciple: to be humbled for the Lord
Jn. 13:5-9
After that, [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
Jesus presented Peter with a challenge here. The way the story reads, it seems like Jesus wanted to humble himself in service to his disciples. Peter, on the other hand, certainly did not see himself as being above Christ, so he would not accept this service. The quick and convincing argument from Jesus was to tell Peter that it was this or nothing. If Peter did not let Jesus have this important moment of service, then Jesus could not let Peter have fellowship with him. It looks like Peter was exercising humility by rejecting this footwashing, but I am not sure that was the case. The good thing was that he realized that this event would bless the Lord and so acquiesced, but I think Peter realized more than that here.
C.S. Lewis discusses gluttony in The Screwtape Letters, and his analysis is unique. He talks about the gluttony of delicacy, which does not look like gluttony at all. The gluttony of delicacy makes one look at the plate and always state that there is far too much on it. It gives the appearance of restraint but is no less demanding than excess. I think Peter here was not exercising humility but was exercising pride veiled in a similar way. It looks like he was trying to save Jesus from being humbled or even humiliated when in fact it was Peter who was not humble enough to allow Jesus to serve him in this way. In playing the humility card, he was robbing Christ of a great gift. He was like the giver who refuses to accept a gift from another even after knowing how much of a blessing it is to give.
Yes, it takes humility to accept the Lord’s service, to see the depths of his perfect humility and realize our relative inadequacy. I have been presented with opportunities to engage in footwashing services, and I have skirted every one. I would say that I have no problem washing another’s feet but that I did not want mine washed. That was not a statement of humility but one of pride because I was not humble enough to let another serve me. The Lord wants us to be humble enough to receive from him. It is a confession of our need of him. It breaks our hearts in an important way, and we cannot be like the Lord if we do not accept his service. Father, help us to be humble enough to accept every good gift from You and to submit when You want to serve us.