You And Me Forever: Marriage In Light Of EternitySampel

"Feet"

When Jesus was preparing for His crucifixion, He did something surprising: He removed His clothes, put on the towel of a servant, got down on His knees, and washed His disciples’ feet.

Foot washing was nasty business. The sandaled feet of a man in a primarily pedestrian society without pavement would have been filthy, especially with all of the animals traveling those roads. But the most degrading part of foot washing would not have been the smell or the actual scrubbing. It was the lowering of status. 

Foot washing was the job of a servant. In the absence of a servant, this task would have been done by the least honorable person in the room. And yet here is Jesus, the most honorable and exalted Being in the universe, happily washing the feet of sinful men. 

This made the disciples uncomfortable. They tried to stop Him. But Jesus used His exalted status as their leader to serve them. 

Imagine carrying this mentality into marriage. Some Christian couples incorporate foot washing into their wedding ceremonies. This is a beautiful gesture, but how often do you willingly humble yourself to do something to benefit your spouse? When you have an advantage, do you use it to serve? When you are the stronger person in a given scenario, do you insist on being allowed to do the least enviable duties? 

After Jesus washed His disciples' feet, He explicitly told them that He wanted them to develop this mentality. So how are you doing with this? Are you working towards becoming the greatest servant in your marriage?

Discuss with your spouse: What types of situations in your marriage could be considered “foot washing” moments? 

(Optional) To go deeper, watch this video from youandmeforever.org