Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Luke 21:1-3 ESV
On this, His final day of public ministry, Jesus took the time to praise the offering of a widow. Among the crowds at the temple that day, she was probably considered the least important by most people. Few would have even noticed as she quietly slipped her two coins into the charity box. But everyone saw the rich men as they carried in their gifts with great fanfare. At the sound of their silver and gold coins clanking into the box people were oohing and aahing about how much they gave. But Jesus was not impressed with their money. He did not care about their spectacular performance or false religiosity. But Jesus did take time to see and praise this widow, before He sat down for His last meal. He pointed her out for all of us to see, because she had come humbly and given all she had with all of her heart. Then He broke the bread and gave the cup and gave all He had for you and for me.
So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 NLT
“Anymore dirty dishes?” my wife often asks, rolling her eyes after closing the dishwasher, walking away from the sink, and then spotting my forgotten coffee cup in the office. Her tone tells me, that she doesn’t mind so much doing the dishes as she just wishes they could be finally done for the night! That is a bit like the washing of feet was for people in Jesus’ day. While the other three gospels detail the institution of communion at the Last Supper, John gives us the story of what happened next. And while, depending on our faith community, we take communion once a day, once a week or even a month, washing feet, like washing the dishes is a something that is a constant chore. Think of the world of Jesus’ day, with horses, donkeys, and sheep wandering the city streets, and it doesn’t take much imagination to know what people’s feet looked and smelled like. Leaving their sandals at the door that night definitely helped, but the bare feet of the disciples certainly couldn’t have been squeaky clean. Maybe as they had come into the upper room that night, they wondered who should wash their feet. Luke’s gospel tells us that they argued over who was the most important, so it is easy to see why no one wanted to wash anyone’s feet. At the end of the meal, when Jesus disappeared into a side room for a moment, nobody noticed, until He suddenly appeared in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist and a basin of water in his hands. Next, he knelt, and, one by one, began to wash their feet. The same men who had gladly received the bread that Jesus had broken and drank the cup He had blessed were shocked as Jesus humbly washed the grime from their feet and then dried them with a towel. After Jesus finished, he stood up and said,
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” John 13:14
Though our world is vastly different from theirs, feet still get dirty and washing them is still menial and seemingly pointless because feet just get dirty again! But Jesus tells us, “I did it so you can do it too!” When dirty feet show up at our doorstep, again and again, we may sigh, like my wife does at finding my forgotten coffee cups, but Jesus calls us to just go get a basin and towel and wash them anyway!
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. Matthew 28:8 NLT
On Easter morning when the news broke out that Jesus had risen from the dead, I can’t imagine that the disciples simply sat down to discuss it quietly over a cup of coffee. Noooo!!! They were ecstatic, fearful and shocked all at the same time! Why should we sing the hymns of Easter with any less exuberance? Back in 1739, when Charles Wesley first composed Christ the Lord is Risen Today, His lively version would have struck the church leaders in the same manner that a rock concert at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral might ruffle some feathers today. But the joy of Christ, the power of His resurrection and the hope of life from the dead ought to rouse us today. No matter what we face or are going through right now, let that truth sink into your heart: “Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Hallelujah! Sons of men and angels say: Hallelujah!!!”
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