Day 16 - Tuesday, January 24, 2023

John 13:4

“Jesus rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”

The room was tense. All eyes were on Jesus. The disciples knew something big was going to happen, they just didn’t know everything that was about to unfold. Each disciple is trying to figure out their standing. They are arguing over who is the best, who is the most loved, who will serve Jesus faithfully. In the group there is one, Judas, who is about to dismiss himself from the table and betray Jesus. Hand him over to the very people who in just a few short hours would kill him.

Being in an environment like this might cause a normal person to protect themselves. To set up boundaries and walls to ensure no further injury might occur. Not Jesus. Jesus didn’t choose boundaries or walls. Jesus didn’t choose to include and exclude people. Jesus chose a towel. When we picked up the towel, He took a wash basin and went around the table to every one of his disciples and washed their feet. Around the table were people who would deny him, people who would doubt him, people who would abandon him, and even Judas the person who would hurt him most and betray him. Yet Jesus went person to person, towel in hand, washed their feet to serve them and show them a better way.

How are you with the people around you? What choices have you made? Are there relationships in your life where walls are established, or relationship has been withheld? Preservation instead of serving is usually the response people have towards individuals who betray, doubt, abandon, and deny them. Rightly so - these are normal responses when you get hurt. Jesus shows us an unnatural way, a better way. Instead of choosing bitterness, rejection, anger- the more natural response - what if in 2023 you, like Jesus, chose a towel?