Before
the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this
world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the
end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand
him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything
into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose
from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around
his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples'
feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter,
who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus
answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but
you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash
my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no
inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not
only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him,
"Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is
clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would
betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."
So
when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at
table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I,
therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one
another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for
you, you should also do."
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Reflection:
What
would you do if you know that you are to have the Last Supper of your life? Perhaps,
you will be doing something for yourself. Maybe you will isolate yourself and
pray with all seriousness before our God.
Jesus
knew beforehand that He would be having His Last Supper but instead of doing something
for himself. He washed the feet of the apostles; it was leadership by example
personified. He did that act of humility for the reason that He wanted to
strongly imprint into the minds of the apostles and to us as well. That those
who truly desire to follow Him must first learn to become humble and learn to
serve and not to be served.
Many
are not inclined to follow our faith or many are inclined to embrace other
faiths because they don’t see the humility of Jesus in us. And who is to blame
for this? No other than many of us because we fail to embrace Jesus template of
humility. Many of us don’t grow in faith as well. Why? For the reason that we
are full of ourselves! We therefore will not grow in faith if we are always
full of ourselves.
If you
want to become a great leader, learn to serve and not be served, learn to lead
by example and not lead by giving direction and command. And last but certainly
not the least learn to embrace the humility of Jesus.
This
Holy Thursday let us reflect and ponder on these words of Jesus in the gospel:
I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should
also do (John 13:15).” – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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