...at the feet of a betrayer.

Jesus washed Judas' feet.

He knew his betrayer intimately. Yet that night as Jesus went around the table with the bowl of water performing one of the most humble acts as a servant, he came to Judas. It makes me wonder what was said, if anything. We have the dialogue between Jesus and and Peter, but we don't have any between Jesus and Judas here, probably because there wasn't any. It was silent. Their communication was totally non-verbal, between Jesus' penetrating eyes and Judas' guilty countenance. It revealed much more than words could have. It revealed much about both of them to one another, especially Jesus love, even for his betrayer!

Jesus later in the evening said to his disciples to "just as I have loved you, love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:35, The Message)

That's the difference...love.

Jesus command is for his true followers to love and serve, even those who would be our enemies, those whose purpose is contrary to ours, those who disrupt what we are trying to do, those who seem to do everything just to spite us, those who hate us, as well as those who work side by side with us.

It's easy to love our friends, those who reciprocate our feelings. It's difficult to love, not just with feelings, but with actions, those who don't or won't. But that's what Jesus commanded. Love. And not just with feelings, but with actions. Jesus didn't say to his disciples, "I was going to wash your feet as a sign of my love, but you know I love you already so let's skip it." No! Jesus didn't have to say anything at that moment. He showed it, the true nature of love, action...

...at the feet of a betrayer.

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another." (John 13:34, The Message)

With a towel and basin ><>
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