John 13:1-11

John 13:1-11 - Daily Devotion - 26 August 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 1 It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end. 2 The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.3 Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”8 “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”10 Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Yuan VongsavanhI remember reading these verses years ago during my early exploration of Christianity and they left an uncomfortable lasting image in my mind. It is unfathomable that the Son of God would get up from the dinner table, lower himself to a servant’s role and posture, and wash his disciples’ feet. In Jesus’s time, when people walked in sandals on dusty roads, feet were gross, caked in dirt, mud, and street waste. Yet Jesus, stripping away his robes and his status, used his bare hands to clean that filth. Even before I accepted Christ, this image made me uneasy because I recognised it as an act of deep humility. Today, viewing this scene through the lens of the cross, that discomfort is still there, but also a profound gratitude. Jesus knew every sin and shortcoming I had and would ever commit, yet he still chose the path of the ultimate self-sacrificing servant, giving his life to redeem me and cleanse me. How undeserving we are of a love that unfathomable! This passage remains a powerful reminder of his ultimate sacrifice, freeing us from sin and offering eternal life. What a beautiful reason to praise Him for that now in prayer. ABOUT THE AUTHORYuan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.