Have you ever thought about how you would spend your last days if you knew you were going to die? What would you do?
This week, over 2,000 years ago when most people were preparing to celebrate the Passover, what was Jesus doing?
He was preparing to die. He knew exactly what was coming. He knew without a doubt that the next day he would die a horrible, excruciating, painful death. He also knew that the reason for the death was our sin. Mine and yours and everyone else’s.
How did he choose to spend his last days?
He WASHED FEET. Not his own, but those of his disciples. He didn’t sit back and have them wash his feet. He could have, and it would have been well deserved. After all, he was about to die for them. Instead, he washed their feet. Their dirty, dusty, sweaty feet.
That’s amazing enough, but Jesus took it a step further and made it incredible. See, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he washed ALL his disciples’ feet. When he ate with his disciples, he ate with ALL his disciples.
EVEN JUDAS.
Judas was there.
Jesus already knew who would betray him. He knew about the deal Judas had made to trade Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Yet, he treated him with love anyway. He washed Judas’ feet and included him at the table as he ate with his disciples, his friends.
As a human, it is hard to comprehend how to love someone who has actively betrayed us. How to be kind to those who have hurt us deeply. How to forgive. How to pray for our enemies as Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 5:44.
Thankfully, we don’t have to do it on our own power. In fact, we can’t possibly muster up the strength to do it ourselves. But, as followers of Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us – and when we call on him, he will give us the strength to show mercy. Even, or especially, to those that are hardest to show mercy to.
After all, aren’t we all a Judas? Haven’t we all betrayed Jesus with our sin? Haven’t we all chosen worldly pleasures over him at some point in our lives?
I am so thankful that on that Friday, over 2000 years ago, Jesus was willing to become the sacrifice for our sins. For my sin. To cover a debt that I owe, but could never pay. To tear down the wall of sin that separates me from God, and instead to allow me to spend eternity living in Heaven with him and feasting at his table.
Even me.
We don’t know what day will be our last, but God does. We will all leave this earth one day. Whether we have a few days or many years left – how do we want to spend that time?
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)