The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: John 13:1-17

“Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet.”
John 13:5

Beyond Self

Our blessed Savior sat down with His disciples on Maundy Thursday evening for the sacred meal of the Passover. For 1,500 years, the meal had reminded God’s people pf the blood of the Lamb of God to be shed one day for them and their sins. Now on this evening, when He was betrayed into the hands of His murderous foes, the time had come to which the ages had looked forward. Presently, He arose from the Passover table. He laid aside His long, flowing outer garment. As His wondering disciples watched, Jesus took a towel and girded Himself with it, poured water into a basin, and began to wash their feet, passing from one amazed disciple to the next.
In this way, our Master showed Himself act to be the great Servant of God and man. His mission was to serve as no other could – by laying down His holy life in pain and death to cleanse mankind from sin. His whole life was of necessity a life beyond self. Soon, the Lamb of God would die on the altar of the cross. This evening, He would institute the Lord’s Supper of bread and wine – of body and blood. But in this act of foot washing, He summed up all of His existence as a life beyond self. Then He said: “I have given you an example … a servant is not greater than His master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” [vss. 15-16].
O Savior, heal our lives, by Your atoning service, and help us to follow your divine example. Amen.

April 14, 1954