We’ve all seen the famous picture, “The Last Supper.”

The tables hold plates of food,, the wine glasses are full, and the Passover feast is being served. The seats are only on one side of the table (as we know of course) and there sit the twelve disciples and Jesus.

Out of nowhere, Jesus gets up from the table, grabs a basin of water, a towel, and kneels down at the feet of the disciples. One by one, Jesus washes their feet…including Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Him.

In that moment, the symbol of Christ changed from a manger to a water basin and dirty piece of cloth. In that moment, Jesus gave us the ultimate example of how we are to love our enemies.

Here at Grace College, I go to class to study and learn about the Bible. From stories of heroes like Elijah to doing word studies, I have definitely been taught new details, meanings, and lessons to be learned about the Bible and about Jesus.

As we were going through the New Testament, we looked at the leadership style of Jesus. He was gentle yet had a point to make. He was humble, yet confident in who He was. He was kind but didn’t stand for sin, and He had a goal to lead others towards. He was and is the very definition of good, gentle, humble, and caring.

Knowing this, it’s not surprising that He knelt down to wash Judas’s feet.

This part of the passage really stood out to me. Of course I don’t have anyone trying to sell me to the Romans for a few pieces of silver, but there are definitely those who make life just a little harder sometimes. We all have these people in our lives, especially when our main goal in life is to further the kingdom of God. These “difficult” people could be coworkers, peers, classmates, past friends, or the ones sitting in front of you at church (yes lol, I went there:)). Regardless of who they are, we are still called to love and serve them.

In John 13:2, it states that Jesus knew that the devil had already put it into Judas’s heart to betray him and yet He did not separate him from the rest of the disciples while washing feet. He could have easily lectured Judas or stun him with a snarky comment but He simply knelt

So, why does this matter to us? How is this relevant to my “difficult” person, the one I find it challenging to be around?

Well, the answer lies within the Parable of the Sower and in Luke 6.

In the Parable of the Sower, there are different soils in which a seed falls into. The rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil. As the parable says, the seed that fell into the thorny soil did not grow because it got choked out by the weeds and thorns surrounding it. The seed that fell into the rocky soil sprouted only to be uprooted because its roots were too shallow and weak. Lastly, the seed in the good soil bloomed and thrived.

Trying to love others like Christ loves them without being planted in good soil is like trying to breathe in outer space. It simply is impossible – without the right equipment. Therefore, dealing with our “difficult” person is going to be impossible if we don’t have our proper equipment – a strong foundation built upon Christ. In Luke 6:27, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.

If Jesus can wash Judas’s feet, the least we can do is pray for our “difficult” people. We don’t know what all they are going through and we don’t know their home life. But we do know someone who could bring them joy and peace and purpose and that is Jesus.

If you have a difficult person in your life, pray for them and ask for God to give you peace, patience, and guidance on how to love them. For some, it might look like a water basin and towel. For others, it might look like self-control or even filtering what we say to them. All in all, just pray for them and for God to use you as a seed planter.

We all can be difficult sometimes, so think about those who might be praying for you and then add on to the trend:)

John 13:1-15

Luke:27

Matthew 13