Dwelling in Dissonance: The Towel and the Basin
John 13:1–17
Introduction: Lent and the Practices That Reveal Our Hearts
As we come to the second Sunday of Lent, we enter a season that invites us not simply to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus as a past event, but to reflect more deeply on its meaning and to consider how we ourselves participate in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ through faith, not only in what we believe, but in how we live.
For me, this season has taken on a very practical expression over the past couple of years, as I have chosen to fast both pop and Frappuccinos during Lent, which may sound like a small thing, but it has become a meaningful spiritual discipline, because fasting has a way of disrupting our normal rhythms and exposing what is going on beneath the surface of our lives in ways we might otherwise overlook. What I have noticed is that there are moments when I instinctively reach for those comforts not out of hunger, but out of anxiety or a desire to relieve stress, and those moments have become invitations to pause and ask a deeper question, namely, why am I not bringing those same needs to Jesus, and what might it look like to re-center my life around Jesus in those very places of tension where I am most tempted not to?
- Jesus Knew—and Still Chose Love
Reading the Gospels, people often wonder, did Jesus know he was going to die? As John introduces this scene, he makes it unmistakably clear that Jesus was not caught off guard by what was about to happen, but that “Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father” (John 13:1, NIV), and that everything that followed unfolded within the context of that awareness and intentionality.
This is not a story of accidental suffering or unforeseen tragedy, but of deliberate obedience, because Jesus had previously stepped away from danger when the timing was not yet right (cf. John 7:30), yet now, at the appointed time, he moves forward willingly, embracing what lies ahead rather than resisting it. And the reason for that movement is given to us in one of the most profound summaries of the gospel in John’s writing: “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1, NIV), which tells us that everything that follows—including the cross—is rooted not in compulsion, but in love that is steadfast and complete. Jesus not only knew that he would die, but he also knew that he would be betrayed, for “the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus” (John 13:2, NIV), and yet even in that emotional and relational tension, he does not withdraw or harden his heart, but instead chooses to remain present, and loving.
- The Towel and the Basin: A Kingdom Turned Upside Down
It is in that context—knowing what is coming, knowing who will betray him—that Jesus does something deeply unexpected, because “he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist… and began to wash his disciples’ feet” (John 13:4–5, NIV), entering into a task that would have been considered beneath someone of his status. This act would have been startling in its original setting, because foot washing was the work of the lowest servant in the household, and yet here is Jesus, the one whom they rightly call Teacher and Lord, choosing to serve from below rather than assert his position from above. The towel and the basin become, therefore, a powerful symbol of the nature of Christ’s ministry, because they reveal a kingdom that operates according to a completely different logic, one in which greatness is expressed not through status or power, but through humility, self-giving, and a willingness to enter into the needs of others.
When Jesus returns to his place at the table and asks, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” (John 13:12, NIV), the implied answer is that they likely do not fully grasp it yet, and perhaps we do not either, because it is one thing to admire the humility of Jesus from a distance, but another thing entirely to embody it in the ordinary, sometimes inconvenient realities of our own lives. Yet the command is clear and unmistakable, because Jesus tells them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet… I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14–15, NIV), setting a pattern of life that is meant to be lived out in practical, everyday acts of service.
- Doing What Jesus Did: From Inner Work to Relational Action
As I reflected on this passage, I found myself asking where I have truly taken up the towel and the basin in my own life, not in theory, but in practice, particularly in situations where relationships have been strained, complicated, or even painful. I shared last week about a season in my early ministry that involved being let go and then rehired, but although I continued in that same role for five more years, I came to realize later that I was still carrying unresolved hurt from that experience. A few years later, during a time of intentional reflection with a spiritual director, I was invited to name those experiences honestly, to write them down, and then, one by one, to release those things to the Lord, and what I discovered in that process was just how much I had been carrying without even realizing it. But that inner work was only part of the journey, because eventually I also sensed the need to pursue a conversation with that former colleague, not out of anger but from a place of wanting the best for him, and when that opportunity finally came, I was able to speak honestly while also extending forgiveness. What struck me most in that conversation was that the posture of service did not mean ignoring what had happened or pretending that everything was fine, but rather choosing to engage in a way that sought restoration rather than retaliation, echoing the way of Christ who calls us to love even when it is costly.
The Promise: Blessing in the Way of Jesus
Jesus concludes this teaching not only with a command but with a promise, saying, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17, NIV), which reminds us that the way of humble service is not only the right path, but also the path through which God’s blessing flows into our lives and into the life of the community. This blessing is not necessarily found in ease or comfort, but in alignment with the heart of Christ, as we learn to serve one another in both ordinary and unexpected ways, whether through quiet acts of care, courageous moments of reconciliation, or simply choosing to show up faithfully in the lives of others even when it costs us something.
Conclusion: Taking Up the Towel Together
As your pastor, I want you to know that this is the posture I desire to take among you, not to be served, but to serve. And as we move forward together, especially in a season that may feel uncertain or complex, I hope that we would all take up that same posture, recognizing that following Jesus means learning to serve one another with humility, grace, and love, even when it stretches us or calls us beyond what feels comfortable. We are invited not only to reflect on the example of Jesus, but to participate in it, to take up the towel and the basin in whatever ways God places before us, trusting that as we do, he will guide us, shape us, and form us into a community that reflects his heart more fully. Amen.