Episode #297 The Prayer That Changed How I See People – Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Hey friends. Today we're looking in scripture at how Jesus gathered the disciples together for the Last Supper and how he washed their feet. Many of us are familiar with the story, but I'll recap it and then I'll read some of it for us from John chapter 13. But basically, they get together for the Last supper, and the disciples were having trouble deciding amongst themselves who was the greatest. And so an issue arose among them. And as Richard Foster says, in his Celebration of Discipline,

“Whenever there is trouble over who is the greatest, there is trouble over who is the least.”

The disciples knew that someone needed to wash their feet. Their feet were filthy, but only the lowest of the low washed feet, so no one was moving to do it. No one wanted to be considered the least. “Then Jesus took a towel and a basin and redefined greatness.” That's a quote from Foster and I love it.

Before we get to this moment of foot washing, I wanna start at the beginning of John chapter 13:1-4, and I encourage you as I read it, listen for the greatness of Jesus on display. He truly was the greatest in their midst, just as he is with us in every moment of every day. It says,

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. (John 13:1-4 ESV)

So we know Jesus goes on to wash their feet and then afterward he describes and explains it to them. So picking it up in verses 12 through 17 it says,

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)

I love that, that John put in there that verse. “If you know this, you'll be blessed if you do it.” The risen Christ invites us, calls us to what Foster calls “The Ministry of the Towel.”

It flows from the inner parts of the heart, outflowing, pouring out of what we have received. Life, joy, peace, and servanthood. Not because we debase ourselves, assuming we must be the least, that we have no value. Not that instead but because we know we have value, we serve. We outpour what we have received into the lives of others around us.

And Foster gives us a really practical prayer that we're going to use in our conversation with God today. And he says, “Perhaps you would like to begin by experimenting with a prayer that several of us use. Begin the day by praying, ‘Lord Jesus, as it would please you bring me someone today whom I can serve.”

I love that prayer, the simplicity of it.

Here on the podcast, we often practice Listening Prayer. We ask God a question and we wait quietly to see how he would answer us in thoughts, pictures, or words that spring up for us, memories he gives us, or verses he directs us to. Today in waiting for his reply, we're gonna look to see who he puts into our path and how we might be able to serve them.

And so here's our question that you can ask him:

Lord Jesus, as it would please You, bring me someone today whom I can serve.

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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