"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into
his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up
from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around
himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around
him." (John 13:3-5 NRSV)
At first glance, it is easy to look at a towel as a
most ordinary object. Have you ever stopped to think that for thousands
of years, towels have been used for many wonderful purposes?
Think of the mother who wipes the tears of a child to soothe an
emotional or physical hurt. Think of the medic who binds the wounds of a
bleeding soldier. Think of the child who wipes the muddy feet of a new
puppy. Or think of the woman in her kitchen simply wiping her hands as
she moves from one task to another.
Perhaps the most significant
use of a towel happened nearly two thousand years ago, when our Saviour
-- only hours before He was put to death on the cross -- washed His
disciples' feet, and then took an ordinary towel in His loving hands and
dried their feet.
In Jesus' day, the washing of feet was
considered to be a job of the lowliest kind -- something for servants
to do. It would certainly not have been considered appropriate work for
the promised Saviour of the world. Jesus' simple, loving act personifies
the selflessness and loving service that He performed for anyone in
need. What was Jesus trying to teach us? When He washed and dried the
disciples' feet, He was trying to show us that if we call ourselves
Christians, we are to be humble and see that there is no service that is
beneath us. We are to set our pride aside and humbly serve God, the
church, and our fellow man. He told His disciples, "I have set you an
example, that you also should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15
NRSV)
Jesus was showing us that an ordinary thing like a towel,
in the right hands, along with a giving heart, can lighten another's
load. As with every action performed by Jesus Christ on this earth, His
acts of service remind us that simple, day-to-day kindnesses are the
Saviour's way to bless and comfort others.
Perhaps the next time
when you look at your towel, you will think of someone who needs your
kindness, and you will offer to help.
Prayer: Dear heavenly
Father, so often we see people who are suffering in one way or another,
and we fail to respond. Help us, we pray, to dry their tears and soothe
their fears, just as Your Son Jesus did through simple acts of kindness.
Amen.
Judith Welch,
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Thanks to
PresbyCan
Daily Devotional
The Towel
Today's Bible Verse:
"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into
his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up
from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around
himself..." (John 13:3-5 NRSV)
The Towel
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