Washing Feet
Didn’t See That Coming, Pt. 2
Every time we gather as a group, these are some ways we ensure the best group discussion:
We make the circle safe by staying honest and transparent - leave the masks at the door.
We keep it inside the circle. Each person’s story is theirs alone to share.
We look to the Bible for wisdom and truth, and work together to let it shape how we see the world.
We don’t try to fix each other in front of each other or give unsolicited advice. We lovingly save hard conversations for private moments.
We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.
We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.
Jesus is going to show us how God deals with power
John 13:1-17
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he showed them the full extent of His love.
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
► What do you do when you realize you are the most powerful person in the room?
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
What do we do when we realize we are the most powerful person in the room?
Things to know about all influence/position/power
it is stewardship
it is temporary
it will be taken away
we are accountable
► Shed my symbols and serve
► We don’t protect it, we leverage it for others
► Agree with God about who I am
Matthew 20:25-28
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Start with M.U.D.
Memorable + Understandable + Doable
What was the most memorable part of the message or service this weekend for you personally? Why?
Did anything you heard challenge or influence how you think about God or your life?
How can what you learned influence or change how you live in everyday life? What tangible steps would it take to make that change a reality?
Additional Questions
God has placed each of us in unique positions of influence and power over people, whether it is relational, positional, familial, financial, political, or social.
When you hear the word power, how does it make you feel? What’s your history or natural relationship with “power”?
What power or influence do you have? What unique positions have you been placed in?
Read John 13:1-17 together. Jesus knew he was the most powerful one in the room, and it was an important opportunity to show his disciples how God deals with power.
How do you feel when you realize you’re the most powerful or influential person in the room? How do you respond?
How would Jesus use his power if he was the most powerful in that same room?
Everyone in the Upper Room knew what Jesus was about to do when he got up, took off his robe, and wrapped a towel around himself - and they were shellshocked. Jesus was doing the disgusting work of a servant. The grand designer became a foot shiner.
Imagine together for a moment… although nothing can rival just how big of a reversal this was, what would feel like a modern-day equivalent? What do powerful or important people in our world “not do”?
Jesus makes it clear that the disciples (and we) should follow his example and take the role of the servant. He calls us to shed our symbols of authority and leverage our lives to serve.
Who is an example of this kind of servanthood for you? Who actively sheds their symbols of authority and leverages their lives to serve?
Think practically about your current positions of influence…
Are there any ways that you work to protect your power or authority instead of leveraging your power for others? How can you tell the difference?
What kind of impact do you think you could make on the people you influence by shedding a symbol of authority in a tangible way as Jesus did?
Why did God put you in the position of power that he put you in? How do you think He wants you to use it?
