¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:12–14 (ESV)

The point Jesus is making to his disciples by washing their feet is that there is no task in ministry to demeaning for his followers to do. The heart of the Christian witness must be the act of Christian service. Whenever you or I think that a task is below us we should read this text in John’s Gospel. Surely none of us occupy a place of dignity higher than Jesus’. If He is willing to serve us how much more must we be willing to serve one another.

The attitude necessary for Christian service was modeled by Jesus before his disciples at the last supper but is perhaps best explained in the text of holy Scripture in Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi. Paul writes this letter while chained to the praetorian guards in a Roman prison awaiting his own execution.

¹ If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. ³ Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. ⁴ Everyone should look out not _?only_? for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. ⁷ Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, ⁸ He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth— ¹¹ and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1–11 (HCSB)

Please make special note of (vs. 5, 6, and 7) in which Paul makes the point that the key to Jesus’ ability to serve is His attitude that enabled Him “to empty Himself” can take the form of a slave. I don’t think you or I can ever fully appreciate the incredible demotion which Jesus willingly accepted when he came to live in human flesh so that He could live as a man and take on to Himself the sin of the whole world. It is this attitude of humility which we confront in our Maundy Thursday services that reminds us that we are not above our master and that any opportunity for serving others is ultimately an opportunity to serve Him. When we think too highly of ourselves and do not serve those around us we are guilty of pride, and are disobedient to our Savior. This disobedience results in needs not being met and our missing a great blessing.

If you have never attended a Maundy Thursday service which includes washing of feet let me encourage you to move beyond your comfort zone and go. I believe that you will be blessed if you do so. I have been conducting Maundy Thursday services in the church is where I pastor for more than a decade now and continue to see the Lord honor this part of His Gospel’s teaching. There is something very moving incredibly humbling when someone asks to wash your feet. There is also always a struggle which occurs in your own heart (that is the seat of your mind, will, emotions) when the Holy Spirit moves you to ask someone else’s permission to allow you to wash their feet.

The uncomfortableness, struggle, in humility present in each attendee at the services leads to those present receiving a great blessing. I must confess these aspects of the Maundy Thursday service also always leave me wondering why more Christians do not participate.

If you are able to attend a Maundy Thursday service tonight, please do so. If it is already too late for you to attend this year then find a church which celebrates the special service each year and make plans to attend their Maundy Thursday service next year!

Websters defines a hypocrite as any “a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion” or a “person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.” Sincerity on the other hand is “the quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind; freedom from hypocrisy.”

The word “hypocrite” combines the Greek prefix “hypo” meaning “under” and the verb “krinein” meaning “to sift or decide.” So the original meaning implied a deficiency in the ability to decide. Such a deficiency, regarding beliefs and feelings, forms the current meaning.

This idea is best illustrated by the nation of Israel as they tried to serve both God and Baal. We need to heed the prophet Elijah’s challenge to his nation to decide which God they will serve prior to his challenging the priests of Baal to a show down between his God and their false god Baal.

²¹ And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21 (ESV)

Unlike the children of Israel Christians need to answer, decisively and sincerely (without hypocrisy).

Many preachers have given the church a bad name.  We who handle the Word of God must speak honestly concerning our own short comings and limitations. It is so easy to allow people to think we are more virtuous than we are actually, which is hypocritical. Each of us need to be more like Paul when he said;

³ Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor do we try to trick anyone. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 (GNB)

The problem with making hypocrisy apply primarily to ministers is that this assumption overlooks the fact that every Christian is a minister. There are no class divisions among Christians.

²⁸ In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (NCV)

The ground at the foot of Calvary’s cross is level. There are no big “I’s” and little “you’s” in Christ’s church. You and I need to “put off” hypocrisy and “put on” sincerity because there is no room for dishonesty in the body of Christ. Instead we all need to be able to honestly say what the apostle Paul said that;

¹² We are proud that our conscience assures us that our lives in this world, and especially our relations with you, have been ruled by God-given frankness and sincerity, by the power of God’s grace, and not by human wisdom. 2 Corinthians 1:12 (GNB)

You and I need not simply to say that we are sincere, we need to be sincere.  Notice that Paul states that his life, not simply his speech, is sincere. Paul says that his life and his relations with the Corinthians (a church with which he had much conflict) have been ruled by God given honesty and sincerity. As a Christian we need to be honest with God and one another. To be capable of such honesty I need to “put off” hypocrisy and “put on” sincerity.