Jesus Washed the Feet of Judas

What's up, Pursuers? Pursuers! What's up, Pursuers?

I am the right Reverend Benjamin Smith. So, it

took me a second to get the Savannah accent you

were doing. When you started with the word right.

Sounded like you said rot. And I'm like, what

is he about to say about himself? Ben, Ben, no,

you're good, dude. Don't say that about yourself.

But no, no, you're the rot reverend. Rot reverend.

Dude, there are some denominations where they

will refer to their pastor as the righteous reverend

or his excellency and stuff like that. Fully

aware, yes. I don't know, man. That's not me,

man. I'm a dude. Listen. Please don't start doing

this. Don't. I don't even want to do the joke.

Like, no. No. I'm just a dude pursuing Jesus.

Sean is also just a dude pursuing Jesus. We're

all dudes. Or dudettes. I'm a dude. You're a

dude. She's a dude. That's a good burger. You

don't know the movie Good Burger? No, Sean. That

is a full on 90s movies. Nickelodeon 90s. Kenan

and Kel. Wow. Nickelodeon 90s movie. Good Burger.

It's a great one. No, it's Nickelodeon. It's

safe. We're good. Are you going to get to apologize

for referencing another movie at the beginning

of our next podcast? Because I enjoyed that.

I enjoyed Googling Good Morning Vietnam and being

like, well, whoopsie doodle. Nice job, Sean.

Hey, you just brought it back up. I just talked

about Good Burger. This is on the internet forever

now. Yep, yep. Oh, man. Well, hey, I've been

thinking about ways to start this episode. And

just based off of the text you and I talked about.

And I wanted to ask you this question. I have

answers to questions. If you had one day left

and you knew that you were going to die, what

would you do? Different people take it different

ways. I think my question is best encapsulated

in the words of the prophet Nickelback. If today

was your last day, tomorrow was too late, would

you say goodbye to yesterday? I'm not familiar

with that one. What are you talking about? Listen,

I've probably heard the song. You grew up with

Nickelback's heyday. I grew up with Nickelback.

I'm just saying, but listening to you sing it

right now does not ring any bells of my memory.

Well, clearly you have some homework for the

rest of your day. Clearly. But do you want my

answer now? Yes, I do. I do want your answer.

I didn't know if you were going to break out

in a song again. No. No, I mean, that is the

easiest answer. Easiest answer to you. Yeah,

absolutely. I'm getting my family in a vehicle

and we're driving to the beach and we're spending

it on the beach together. I'm going to spend

time in the ocean. Yep. I'm going to spend time

hunting for seashells. I'm going to spend time

laying down watching my kids play. Man. That's

what I'm going to do. That is a beautiful, beautiful

way to spend that, and a beautiful, beautiful

answer. I'm admittedly shocked that there is

not Mexican food in there. There's not some tacos

or something. You didn't ask meals. You didn't

ask for meals, and meals would be a part of it,

but the activity would be the beach. I got you.

That's a very, very good answer. I feel like

mine would definitely involve the mountains,

so I understand that feeling. I see that. You're

a beach bum. person. Is there an equivalent of

a beach bum phrase for a mountain? You could

say mountain man, but that's sexist. We don't

do that. Were you listening to Galatians 3? You

got mountain man and mountain mama. It doesn't

have the same feel as beach bum. It characterizes

a culture. That doesn't care. Mountain Man. But

even like Mountain Man, when I think of Mountain

Man, I'm not thinking of you. You know what,

Sean? That's so rude. But I see what you're saying.

Bro, I'm thinking of the dude on the heck in

the bra and toilet paper. Yes, I like the flannel,

blue jeans, boots with the axe. The mountain

man did our intro for the last podcast. Welcome

to you. That was funnier than I meant it to be.

Thank you, Sean. Thank you. I hate every bit

of... Oh, man. And that's a good intro, too.

So I have to keep it for our people. And that

was me slapping the table, by the way, because

I cracked myself up so much on that one. I wasn't

knee slapping laughing. I was slapping the table.

That is the noise you guys heard. Yeah, that

certainly wasn't like your spine creaking from

old age. That's a low blow, man. I'm sorry. You

know, it's a common one here in the office, though.

I am the old man in the office these days, and

it is what it is. It is true. It is true. Well,

but so the whole reason that I bring up, like

if today was your last day, what would you do?

Yeah. And good answer is because of our text

today. This falls at an interesting place in

the Passion Week. Remember, because this is like

Jesus's last week on earth is kind of where we're

sitting in our reading. Now we're in the last.

Yes, in the last days, like last three, four

-ish days. This is the text from August the 9th.

It's John 13, 1 through 20, where Jesus washes

the disciples' feet. I think we should read this,

honestly. For my purposes, I'd like to do like

1 through 11. Maybe we can jump into 12 through

20 later on. But you mind if I read that? No,

please go ahead, man. Let's get it right on the

same page. All right, this is John 13, 1 through

11, 1 through 12, whatever, wherever we land.

Now, before the feast of 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

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 he was going back to

God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer

garments and, taking a towel, tied it around

his waist. Then he poured water into a basin

and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe

them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord,

do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him, What

I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward

you will understand. Peter said to him, you shall

never wash my feet. And Jesus answered him, if

I do not wash you, you have no share with me.

Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet, but

also my hands and my head. And Jesus said to

him, the one who is bathed does not need to wash

except for his feet, but is completely clean.

You are clean, but not every one of you, for

he knew who was to betray him. That was why he

said, not all of you who are clean. To bring

it full circle here, the reason I asked you that

question to start with is because verse 1 and

verse 2 frame this text in an interesting way.

When Jesus realizes his time is limited, not

realizes because he already knows, but when Jesus

recognizes, okay, his hour has come to depart

out of this world, the thing that he thinks is

most important to do is to wash his disciples'

feet. That was like the heading that just completely

floored me when I was studying this passage.

To me, it's that phrase, it's the second half

of verse one. Yeah. Having loved his own who

were in the world, he loved them to the end.

I feel like there's a whole sermon just in that

one little phrase. What do you get from that?

What do you get from that? I mean, to think,

okay. Once again, you even just alluded, and

we fully realize, and I talked about it Sunday.

Jesus is fully God. Right. He's fully human,

but yet he's fully God. He knows, right? He knows,

and it says that Jesus knew that his hour had

come, meaning he fully realizes what he's about

to go through. Yes. In fact, we even see that

here in a couple of verses of when he's in the

garden, and he is sweating blood. Yes. Because

he knows. what's about to happen. Which is a

real documented medical phenomenon. It's a thing.

Yes, absolutely. And so, knowing all of this,

in this moment, he's not concerned about that.

He's not overwhelmed, freaking out. What is his

biggest concern is loving his disciples in the

end. Focusing... Once again, it's this example

of servant leadership. Loving others before ourselves.

And even though he could make this moment all

about him, that's what I think from a worldly

perspective. He's like, man, what is one of the

last things I want to do for my disciples? Let

me leave them with this incredible example. An

extraordinary example. And I think that the love

that he had for his disciples is also the love

that he has for us. He loves us. To the end.

For many reasons, including that I've got some

friends who are genuinely suffering. Life circumstances,

infertility, a lot of different things. But the

way that Jesus loves us in suffering has been

kind of one of the heads -up display concepts

or theological things of mine lately. Even Jesus

in the garden before the Father, I want this

cup to pass, not my will but yours. I talked

about this on Wednesday night to our Wednesday

night service. Why would Jesus ask God for something

that he knows God is not going to grant? Because

once again, fully God, he knows that this is

the time, verse 2. He's aware that he's about

to go back to God. Jesus isn't. This isn't defiance.

No. This is him joining God in relationship with

his pain. Yeah. And that love is the thing that

pushes him forward. But, dude, in that moment

in the garden, Jesus is holding his Father's

hand. What I love about it is it shows the example

of honesty in prayer. Dude. You know? Yeah. And

it's one of the things that I try to talk to

my students and even the church now. When we're

young in our faith and we think of prayer, one,

we feel like the prayer has its own little language.

We've got to say the right words and do the right

things. But then we even move on from that. We

feel like prayer is only... It's not about being

honest with God. It's just about, oh, God, you're

so wonderful. Or, God, thank you for this food.

It's performance. Exactly. That's a great word.

Absolutely. But seeing this, and I like taking...

going to this, I like taking people to David

and the Psalms. Like you see the range of emotion

that is expressed. And then even hear from Jesus,

the honesty of this prayer. This is what God

wants. God wants us, all of us, our mountaintops

and our valleys. He wants all of us and everything

in between. And there's something to be learned

here too. with kind of the harmony of service

and honesty, look at what Jesus does as he's

about to serve. He takes off his outer garments

and he wraps a towel around his waist. Jesus,

and so like culturally here, that's the role

of the lowest servant in the house. The dude

who washes feet, like that is if you were at

the bottom of the totem pole. Because nobody

wanted this job. Ain't nobody wants that job.

But it is only when we... take off whatever we

have trying to beautify us, whatever we have

trying to be worthy in and of ourselves, whatever

performance mindset we put on. It's only when

we take that off that we can one, have genuinely

relationship with the father and to serve out

of a Christlike mindset and not out of performance.

I just, I feel like, like, like, like for, okay.

So for service, right? If we're looking at Jesus,

the example of like when Jesus goes to serve

the disciples, He puts himself in a low place,

a place where his status doesn't matter, where

his preferences don't matter. That is something

that I feel like can be most easily lost in a

church context. Explain this one. I'm going to

use worship leadership because that's just near

to me. Absolutely. Maybe we can pivot to something

that's more universally applicable. There is

a temptation as a worship leader, and maybe you

feel this as a preacher too, that when I get

up there, I have to be on. I flip a switch, and

then Ben is in worship leader Ben mode. The Lord

really convicted me of this a couple of years

ago, where the way I talk changes. My disposition

changes. Even the way that I worship. in that

state when I get on stage. That has not been

taking off his outer garments and putting himself

in a servant perspective. That's been putting

on another layer of clothes. That's been putting

on an air of somebody who is close to God and

is very mystical and all these things. When in

reality, at that time in my life, my private...

Yeah. The way that I worshiped God looked very

different from my public worship. Yeah. And I

think that that hypocrisy was well intended initially,

like to some degree, right? Like all motives

are mixed, right? Like there are no true pure,

I'm doing this exclusively for good. We are humans

and we deal with the pride and the different

issues, yes. But I saw other worship leaders

act in a certain way. And so I felt like I had

to put that on to do effective ministry. And

maybe it's like that when we talk to people who

aren't believers. We engage with them and we

have to put on our Christian whatever, whatever,

and stand up a little straighter and make sure

that they know that we're different than them.

Or, oh no, I don't associate with that, or I

don't do that, I'm a Christian. But if we're

putting ourselves in the place of a servant,

then the way that we come across, like the way

that other people perceive our performance is

the last thing on our minds. Yeah. No, I see

exactly what you're saying. And I do think, and

I'll be honest, from my perspective, I would

assume worship leaders probably deal with this

a lot. I mean, because it is a performative -based

ministry. There are skills involved, you know,

especially, I mean, with the instruments and

even vocals, right? And so there are things that

it can be so easy to get focused on the technicality

of the songs and of the stage. that it can be

very easy to put on your garments. I see exactly

what you're saying now. But I do see that also

as the context of a pastor. Yes. The way that...

Mine's a little bit different. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right? So I see exactly what you're saying. I

have always been on the mindset. One of the things,

and it's... From Jesus, even before I became

a pastor, because I was in the secular world

of work before I became a pastor for a long time.

And I was in managerial roles for many years.

Assisted to the regional manager. No. I was the

manager of a warehouse. And so I had people working

underneath me and everything. But I took... In

that environment, I wanted to be a servant leader,

a servant manager. And so I wanted to lead like

this where I wanted to do the things that people

did not want to do. And sometimes that involved

cleaning a warehouse bathroom. And I was willing

to do that when the actual janitor was not there.

So going back to being a pastor now, so when

I became a pastor, I've always like, I've been

very honest with who I am, and I don't want people

to see me on a pedestal. And I think that's one

of the things I think our people see very quickly

in me is I'm very honest with my flaws. I'm very

honest. I want people to realize I am human because

I've been around churches and pastors where the

pastor is put on a different level and like,

oh, yes, we know he's a sinner because we're

all sinners, but... but he's different. It's

like this unspoken thing. Isn't it funny how

we can directly say one thing, but internally

believe another entirely? So I think the thing

that I've... I had this amazing older lady come

up to me when I was young in ministry, because

I had a sermon where I focused a lot on my mistakes

and my failings and everything. And she encouraged

me to see who I was in Christ. Kind of like one

of those same things. I knew these things, but

I was starting... I think she helped save me

from false humility. Yeah, yeah. Like where I

was going down this road of, I'm going to keep

saying all this stuff, but really see how bad

of a person I was kind of thing. And so... I

have no idea where I was going with that. I went

down a rabbit trail a little bit and now I need

you to bring me back. Remind me, remind me. It's

not a rabbit trail at all because that's still

performance. Not the way that you intended it.

Performance, that's the word I couldn't remember.

But it's both ways. No, but that's what that

was. Yeah, exactly. That was my point is that

I don't want someone to be focused on one side

of it where the performance can look different

for different people. Right. It's not just about

putting on your best. You could perform. And

put on your worst. Exactly. Um, and, and just

like Jesus to, to have it somewhere in the middle,

you know, um, because putting on Christ, uh,

prevents you from erring on both sides. Yeah.

You're not putting on your best because Jesus

is your best. And you know that apart from him,

you can do nothing, but you're not putting on

your worst because you know that Jesus has redeemed

you. You're the heir of his promises because

of what he has done. Hey, let me ask you a question.

Hit me. So verse six, it says he came to Simon

Peter. Yeah. I haven't done a word study on this,

but between verses five and six, to me and how

I'm reading it in the English, it doesn't sound

like Peter's the first one that washed his feet.

I would agree with that assessment. So how do

you think the other guys responded? Like there's

not anything written here, but what do you like?

Because Peter, we see him and we see his response.

Do you think they were just in shock and didn't

say anything? Or what are your thoughts? So writing

myself directly into the New Testament narrative

here, shock is one of those things. I think for

me also it's like, oh, Jesus says he's going

to wash my feet? What am I going to say, no?

I also get where Peter's coming from. He's like,

Lord, I'm not worthy. It's kind of like the unwritten

thing. Given that this is the Gospel of John

and John the Apostle is the one who wrote it,

like classic John not including himself in the

narrative. He's like, oh, yeah, the other disciples.

But, you know, and it is kind of funny because

so many times Peter ends up being the guy that

you're like, oh, Peter. Yeah. You know, which

he is that human character for us as a leader

of this group, and we see his mistakes. Honestly,

when I read this and I read his reply, when he's,

you know, are you going to wash my feet and Jesus

says these things? Like, I understand. Like,

I fully understand because of the culture, as

you just said, the lowest position of the house

was the one that did this. And then you have

Jesus, who at this point, the disciples... fully

are committed that he is the Messiah. Yes. Like,

they realize he's God. Peter is one of the first

people to say it. Yes. And then Peter has seen

him in his glorified state on the mountain. And

so Peter knows, like, without a shadow of a doubt,

who he is. And yet, and he's like, no, no, no.

I know. who you are, you're going to wash my

feet? I'm like, man, I can see Peter's headspace

from my perspective. Absolutely. And so here's

the crazy thing. Peter's right. Yeah. Peter is

not worthy for Jesus to wash his feet. No. None

of the disciples are worthy. Jesus sums it up

in verse 8. Jesus answers him, if I do not wash

you, you have no share. Dude, we hit this every

episode and I'm here for it. Jesus is the one

who makes Peter worthy. And because Jesus is

the worthy one, Jesus gets to decide what he

does with that worth and who he wants to include

in his kingdom. And so he locks eyes with Peter

and says, you want to share with me? Do you want

to share in the kingdom? This is how you get

it. I have to wash you. And that's the gospel.

Yeah, man. I mean, And this is why this is something

that we still just talk about so much, and it's

still affecting people so much, is because this

is such a beautiful picture of God. Yeah. God

putting himself in one of the lowliest positions

for the people that he's about to die for. Yes.

What an incredible picture of love that he has

for us. And it's, I mean, this is one that is

just overwhelming. And it's overwhelming to think,

he is about to be put on a cross. He is about

to, Jesus' body is about to go through some physical

pain that is just... Agony. Agony. I mean, even

like, I mean, they had to invent a word for it.

Excruciating means out of the cross. Out of the

cross. I mean, it was that bad. And so... Jesus

is about to go through that. As we talked about,

he knows he's about to go through that. And yet

he takes off his outer robe, gets the towel,

gets the water, and just walks around and washes

their feet. Like, man, this just... Once again,

I even said it on Sunday where I just preached

this past Sunday that I am just overwhelmed this

past week to be called a child of God. And it's

things like this. To realize that my God loves

me so much that not only, yeah, he sacrificed

his life for me. That's something that I will

never get over, and I continue to not be over.

Right. But he also wants a relationship with

me. That's what this is all about. He wants the

dirty parts of me. He wants the clean parts of

me. He is there for me. And I love one of the

other things that really stuck with me from this.

I love the imagery of being washed. And you see

that elsewhere in scripture, the Lord tying all

these different missions of washing together,

but like the theme of being washed. Yeah. Because,

like, I will confess, like, sometimes I feel

so dirty. Like, whether that's just, like, a

product of being in the world and the things

that I end up getting subjected to because I'm

a human living in a human world, sometimes it's

being around people who are just going through.

And I feel like that rubs off on me somehow.

Sometimes it's my own dang sin that puts me in

the same stupid place where like, Lord, I'm dirty.

I'm guilty. I'm ruined. That's the word that

hangs over me when I feel like I've screwed up

is ruined. And so picturing this scene where

Jesus... washes the feet of the disciples. He

approaches one of the nastiest parts of these

people. And he takes on the role of a servant

and he chooses to make them clean. We have a

share in Christ. He washes us. He continues to

wash us. It reminds me of the book of Revelation

where like John, same John, same John, sees sees

this multitude of saints and their robes are

white. And he's like, how did this happen? And

the angel tells him, this is the host of believers

who have washed their robes in the blood of the

lamb and made them as white as snow. It's a beautiful

image. And it's not just a literary device, but

it's real lived history that we get to take part

of when we submit to Christ's lordship. You know

one other thing that absolutely knocked me on

my butt? theologically speaking, about this passage.

Oh, what's that? So today is August 9th, or that's

the one that we're reading. August 10th, literally

like tomorrow's reading, as it were, is when

Jesus talks about Judas betraying him. You want

to know what that means for our reading today?

Jesus washed Judas's feet. Yes, he did. Like,

like, like knowing full well what Judas was about

to do, that Judas was going to be the linchpin

in the plan for Jesus to die, for Jesus to lose

all of his friends, for Jesus to be publicly

flogged and executed. And Judas is already at

this point too, where he has made the deal. Yeah.

It says it in verse two, right? Like that just

floored me, dude. Like, like, like he sat at

the feet of the dude who he had walked with for

three years. But also who he knew from before

the foundation of the world would betray him.

A friend. Yeah. There's a poem that I found by

an African -American pastor from Tennessee from

like the 1800s. His name was George Marion McClellan.

And he actually ended up as like a principal

of a public school. But he was a pastor as well,

bivocational. And so he wrote this. And so it's

poetry. The rhyme scheme is a little different

from an older day. It goes like this. Christ

washed the feet of Judas, the dark and evil passions

of his soul, his secret plot and sordidness complete.

His hate, his purposing, Christ knew the whole.

And still in love, he stooped and washed his

feet. Christ washed the feet of Judas, yet all

his lurking sin was bare to him. His bargain

with the priest and more than this, and Olivet,

the Mount of Olives, beneath the moonlight dim.

aforehand knew and felt his treacherous kiss.

Christ washed the feet of Judas, and so ineffable

his love was meet, that pity fill his great forgiving

heart, and tenderly to wash the traitor's feet,

who in his Lord had basely sold his part. Christ

washed the feet of Judas, and thus a girded servant

self -abased, taught that no wrong this side

of the gate of heaven. was ever too great to

wholly be effaced. And though unasked, in spirit

be forgiven. And so, if we have ever felt the

wrong of trampled rights, of caste, it matters

not. What e 'er the soul has felt or suffered

long, O heart, this one thing should not be forgot.

Christ washed the feet of Judas. As you're reading

that, I had my eyes closed and just soaking in

and trying to really focus on the words of this

poem. Because as soon as you start reading, I

was like, oh, this is going somewhere. Yeah.

And it did. And as I'm listening, I just keep

thinking that Jesus would have washed my feet.

Right. Because I think, and that's the thing,

is we... As you were alluding to earlier when

you were talking about yourself, we know who

we are. And that is why I continue to get so

overwhelmed of God's love for me. Because I would

not love someone like me like he does in the

way that he sacrifices and he puts in everything

he does for me. Yeah. And knowing fully who Judas

is. and what he was doing, it's just incredible.

Once again, this beautiful picture of this is

the God that I worship. Yes. This is part of

the reason why I worship my God, because he is

unlike anything else. He's unlike us. The line,

the stanza that just hit me was that, you know,

Thus a girded, self -abased servant, I'm not

rhyming anymore, taught that no wrong this side

of heaven was ever too great to be unforgiven.

That Jesus looking at Judas still looked at him

with love. Regardless of where Judas is now or

what he did then. And that love extends to us.

And that's a great reminder for anyone listening

to this. It is so easy for us, and I know this

because of the amount of people that I've had

this conversation with, that we hold on to things

either we've done or have been done to us. Yes.

And we think, I'm too dirty for Jesus. And even

though those words might not come out of your

mouth, it's deep in your heart. Even if you say

you believe the gospel, it's deep in your heart.

Yeah. And there's a lot of people that are walking

around and... You know, even in our churches,

but they still deep down don't believe Jesus

can clean them because of what has happened to

them and what they've done. And it is so far

from what is the actual truth. Absolutely. Absolutely.

You know what I love? What do you love? As we're

closing this out, if we just move on to one more

verse. Yeah. And verse 12, when Jesus had finished

or had washed their feet, he put on his outer

clothing. And he reclined again and said to them,

we'll just stop there. He reclined. I love this

picture of he's serving them, and then he sits

down and relaxes and gets in community with them.

I think that's a really cool picture of Jesus

serving, once again, serving them, but then being

in relationship in a way of, hey, let's talk.

Let's have this conversation. Hey, you know what?

I just did that because that's what he's about

to go into. He starts talking about what he just

did and the act of humility, but he's just reclining.

Once again, I don't think I could be able to

recline knowing what I was about to go through,

but he is relaxed because he knows going all

the way back to verse 2, he's loving them till

the end, and he's going to love us till the end

too. And he has and he will. Amen. Amen. Good

stuff, man. Good stuff. And, you know, just one

last little theological point to end on. If you've

seen the painting, they all did sit on one side

of the table. Yes, there's only one way they

did it in that culture, obviously, because it

was recorded. I mean, he, was it Michelangelo?

Yeah. Michelangelo absolutely just painted it

right there. Who lived 1 ,500 years after the

passion narrative. Oh, man. Well, hey. Jesus

loves you. We love you. We're going to keep pursuing

Jesus. We encourage you guys to do the same.

We'll catch you guys next week. I'm Ben Smith.

I'm Sean. Have a great week. Pursuing Jesus is

a ministry of Memorial Baptist Church in Norwood,

North Carolina. To learn more about our church,

please visit memorial4norwood .com.