Firstly John Woodger showed us that massive, miraculous haul of fish – Jesus breaking into Peter’s life. Then Mike took us through the time when Peter had the faith to walk on water with Jesus – but only for a little while! And last week Paul was showing us how Peter’s confession of Christ wasn’t really the point where Peter ‘joined the Christian club’, but rather it was a milepost on his increasing journey of discovery.

We’re going to look today at another milepost, but before that I’ve got a question for you – what would be your dream job? Chief executive of a FTSE company? Chocolate taster? Archbishop of Canterbury?

I bet not many of you came up with toilet attendant, or potato picker, working for a fenland gang master for a few quid a day. I’ve been reading a book called “I Quit! The 50 worst Jobs in Britain” and it includes jobs such as ‘offal treader in a meat processing factory’ and ‘person who puts holes in the end of toothbrushes’.

There were some pretty crummy jobs 2,000 years ago as well and one of the lowest was foot washer. It was a slave’s job, and indeed had such low status that many Jews felt that it was only fit for Gentiles. No Jews – even a slave – should be doing it at all.

Let’s turn to our passage. We’ve now moved on from Jesus’ public ministry – that’s ended and we’re now in the Upper room. Jesus knows that his death is near. This is his last time to teach the disciples. And he begins this very precious time by washing his disciples’ feet.

We’re going to look at Peter’s response to this. In total Peter makes three comments to Jesus – and Jesus responds to each one in turn. We’ve looked at Peter’s transformation over these few weeks, and each of Jesus responses call for a new transformation.

The First transformation is from Routine to Faith

Up to this point Peter and the others had mainly seen Jesus in roles of what we can call ‘command leadership’. When Jesus was performing miracles, teaching (up-front and in small groups), in debates and so on he was in charge, and others were followers. There had been some times when this has been shaken – for example when Lazarus died – but Jesus had always pulled the rabbit out of the hat, as it were.

But now this roleplay has been completely turned on its head. Jesus is now taking the role of a particularly menial slave.

We can guess that the other disciples were just as shocked as Peter – there was probably stunned silence as Jesus washed their feet.

But it’s Peter who questions the situation. The Greek has an emphasis: "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?". I should be washing yours. You’re the leader, I’m the follower.

Interestingly Jesus doesn’t give an immediate explanation: he replies, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." He’s saying – trust me on this.

Now over the past few weeks we’ve seen that Jesus has gradually been revealing more and more of himself to Peter. Peter’s been stretched, but here Jesus makes a call that’s probably even more demanding – “Trust me”

Sometimes God doesn’t answer our questions – “Why has this happened to me Lord? What’s going on?” But the only way He answers is this: “"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

It can be tough when God asks us to trust him, but in fact it’s a great gift, because faith is one of the greatest qualities we can have. This is what the great Victorian bishop JC Ryle has to say:
“The true secret of doing great things for God is to have great faith.
I believe that we are all apt to err on this point. We think too much, and talk too much, about graces and gifts and attainments and do not sufficiently remember that faith is the root and mother of them all. In walking with God, a man will go just as far as he believes, and no further. His life will always be proportioned to his faith. His peace, his patience, his courage, his zeal, his works—all will be according to his faith.
You read the lives of eminent Christians, of such men as Wesley or Whitefield or ... Simeon. ...Depend on it, faith was the mainspring in the character of each and all.
I can fancy someone saying, "They were so prayerful; that made them what they were." I answer, why did they pray much? Simply because they had much faith. What is prayer, but faith speaking to God?
Another perhaps will say, "They were so diligent and laborious; that accounts for their success." I answer, why were they so diligent? Simply because they had faith. What is Christian diligence, but faith at work?
Another will tell me, "They were so bold; that rendered them so useful." I answer, why were they so bold? Simply because they had much faith. What is Christian boldness, but faith honestly doing its duty?
And another will cry, "It was their holiness and spirituality; that gave them their weight." For the last time I answer, what made them holy? Nothing but a living realizing spirit of faith. What is holiness, but faith visible and faith incarnate?
Take the advice I give you this day: go and cry to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the disciples did, "Lord, increase our faith." “

From Defiance to Reality

It wasn’t just what Jesus was doing that caused the shockwave, it was how he looked. Jesus had taken off his outer garments, put a towel round his waist. In other words he didn’t just act like a slave: he dressed like one.

This was too much for Peter: "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet.". And yet, only a few moments later, there was Jesus, washing his feet.

What was behind this defiance? We’ve already looked at the lack of faith, but we can have a guess at some other factors: maybe it was a fear of intimacy – having feet tended to by an anonymous, worthless slave is one thing, but by the person you most admire in your life is quite another. Probably as well there’s self-sufficiency. Most of us like to be self-sufficient.

Whatever the reasons, Jesus brings him up short: “"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.". The word ‘part’ here suggests an inheritance – "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance, you’re not part of my family”.

Of course, there’s a deeper level going on here. As well as the humble task of washing feet, Jesus is acting a parable – he’s presaging his death on the cross, and the washing of sins through that.

Although it’s pretty sure Peter doesn’t see this deeper level yet, it’s a blunt reality check for him. And of course if someone isn’t even willing to accept Jesus’ washing their feet, how will they accept the greater washing that Jesus provides?

If you go to a swimming pool, you often get a sign saying “please shower before entering the pool”. And sometimes if you don’t fancy that you can ignore it or try to squeeze past the showers. But with Jesus there’s no avoiding it – if you want to enter the kingdom of God you have to get that initial cleaning. Have you?

As Elizabeth Elliot says: “"The disciple is one who has made a very simple decision. Jesus invites us to follow Him, and the disciple accepts the invitation. I do not say it is an easy decision...."

The final transformation is from acceptance to intimacy

Peter’s final comment is very much in character. Mr All-or-Nothing caves in exclaiming: "Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Again it’s very unlikely that Peter has understood this deeper significance yet, it’s just typical exuberance, but Jesus is still looking ahead to the cross: "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.”

Of course he’s talking about cleaning from sin – a forgiveness earned by Jesus through his sacrifice on the cross. When we ask Jesus into our lives we receive full forgiveness for our sins – a full cleansing. But if you like that’s only half the story, because after that we still fall, we still make mistakes, and – we need regular, ongoing cleansing, on a smaller scale – regular ‘footwashing’.

I call this last exchange “From Acceptance to Intimacy” because feet-washing by someone you know can be an amazingly intimate experience. A few years back I went to a Maundy Thursday service at a church where the vicar washed the feet of some of his parishioners. It was a moving and powerful moment. Maybe you’ve washed the feet of someone you know – an elderly relative. If you have, you’ll probably understand what I mean.

Have you let God serve you recently? We can get so het up in our activities that we sometimes don’t rest and let God serve us, don’t listen to Him. We can spend our time trying to impress God, but remember that God knows you inside out – as Graham Cooke says: “God is never disillusioned with us, because he’s never had any illusions about us in the first place”

CONCLUSION

So we’ve looked at this brief grapple between Peter and Jesus and seen that there’s a lot to it. Before I finish I’d like to make a couple of brief points.

First, after washing their feet Jesus tells his disciples to serve others – and if our master serves, how much more so should we.

Second, Jesus not only washed his disciples feet, he also washed Judas – the man he knew would betray him. We need to learn to be indiscriminate about who we serve, and not just friends or those who respond well.

But where do we get that strength to serve? Look at verse 3: “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God”. In other words Jesus’ service came out of his security from His heavenly Father. And the same goes for us – how secure is our relationship with God. Do we have great faith “Lord increase our faith” Are we real with God, and do we enjoy deepening intimacy?

It’s from that strong position – the faith in, the reality of and the intimacy with the Lord Jesus – that we can serve others in His name. Amen.