you are blessed if you do them

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper 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 supper, 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (John 13:1-17, NRSVue)

“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” If you know you are to serve and you serve you will be blessed.

Jesus, knowing he was going to be arrested, tried, beaten, and killed, washed the disciples’ feet. All of them. Judas was included. Judas gets a bad wrap in all of the gospels, and especially John, but Judas is included in the foot washing. I have seen memes that say you only love Jesus as much as you love your Judas. Judas did what was needed to fulfill the plan. He and Jesus were tight and they probably talked about the plan and they might have equated it to the binding of Issac. Where the ram was given at the last moment so Abraham did not have to sacrifice Isaac. And Judas was distraught and did not stick around to see the fulfillment of the plan, where Jesus died, but did not stay dead.

We are called to serve. Serve everyone. Even those who might seem to not deserve it.

Blessed are you who know service is the way, and being served is not.