towel

Servants of the Towel

  • 20 September 2016
  • Randy Wollf

Jesus did the unthinkable… again.

It was just another meal until he started taking off his outer clothing. The disciples didn’t know what to think. He had surprised them before, but this was different.

With utter amazement, the disciples watched Jesus take a water basin and wrap a towel around his waist. No, he couldn’t possibly… but he did. He began to wash the disciple’s feet.

Jesus—a rabbi and teacher—did what no self-respecting leader would do: he did the work of a servant.

Two questions come to mind as I think about Jesus’s actions. The first one is: why did he do it?

In John 13:14-15, Jesus clearly states his purpose for washing the disciple’s feet. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”