Wash somebodies feet lately?

Feet are ugly aren't they.
When I was playing basketball back in high school, I once had my ankle taped up by the assistant coach, who made the statement "Toner, you have the ugliest feet I've ever seen".
It's a wonder I'm not in therapy.
I was kind of in between churches when I met the woman that would later become my wife, and yes Brian Miller set that up. I thought I would say that before he did...again.
Anyway she was going to this church, and since I didn't really have a church, I started going to White Oak (also I got to spend more time with her that way).
The church would conduct Maundy Thursday services, and along with communion they would do foot washing.
Now I knew Jesus had done that, but I'd never seen church people do it.
The first couple of years I would go, but not participate in the foot washing. I was a little self conscious about my feet, plus the fact I had a severe case of athletes foot which was a product of playing basketball year round for three years in high school.
But as the years past, and my condition cleared up. It was put up or shut up time.
The men and women separated, water would be poured in bowls, towels would be wrapped around waists. In the next room I heard the women begin to sing hymns, the men would sing also. The man next to me would wash my feet, I would wash the next guy sitting next to me.
After washing, the washer and the one who had been washed would stand and hug each other in genuine Christian love.
I sat in a circle of men who were leaders of the church, men I had learned to respect, admire and love. There were men who were just attenders, just like me. In this room there was no titles, age made no difference, your past wasn't an issue. It was a room of brothers, united in Christ, united in love for each other.
And while I was nervous at first, I became deeply touched by all of it.
Years have past, and as they have something Jesus said in the book of John rings true, "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
And I have been blessed.
But let's look at the bigger picture. The last supper, while beautiful now, was kind of a mess. Jesus was spending his last meal with His friends, who were arguing about who was going to be the greatest. One of His chosen was going to betray Him. They went from who was going to be top dog to which one was the betrayer. What a mess!
All this time nobody had offered to do the servants job. Maybe His friends were just waiting on a servant to show up, but there wasn't one to be had.
As Jesus looked around, the time had come to show them the "full extent of His love". He, the creator of the universe in physical form, would take on the lowest of tasks. To touch the part of the body that would be the dirtiest from its contact with the earth. To wash the feet of His friends. The teacher became the servant. The high became low.
Perhaps we can learn something here, maybe we should consider a couple of things.
The first thing is that Jesus didn't give some kid in the street a couple of coins and say "hey I want you to wash some feet of some people I know". Yet our idea of servant hood many times is writing a check. Not that supporting a ministry isn't important, because it's very important. Yet I would submit the world needs to see our love in action. They need to know that when we say we care, we mean it. Jesus could of just said "I love you" and really meant it. But the Word tells us He was going to "show" them. That display shocked Peter. It would have shocked me too.
Our communities should shake their heads at the love that we display for others. They should ask "why are they doing that?" It worked for the Acts 2 church and I'm betting it would work in most churches.
The second thing is that I have ugly, scarred feet. I've done things I shouldn't have, and yet Jesus died to wash me. When I think about that I'm humbled, which is good. When I wash my brother's feet, I humble myself to do a servant's task. I'm reminded that I am to serve others.
I need to be reminded of that.
I hope this Easter weekend will be a blessing to you and your family, but don't let it pass without thinking of the message of love Jesus taught before He died.
If we are followers of Christ, we are servants.
Wash somebodies feet lately?