Grace Always Costs Something | Easter Reflection

I was moved to tears as I sat in the back of the old Anglican church on a warm April evening. I was reminded what grace was. A Maundy Thursday service was in swing, celebrating the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.

There was a portion of the service where the staff grabbed containers and basins of water. They invited anyone that wanted to take part of this symbolic act of Jesus’ servanthood, to come and have their feet washed. I watched as this older woman, probably in her 70’s struggled to get up from her front row seat. She hobbled over and got down on her knees behind the basin of water.

After some time had passed I saw a young woman, probably my age, begin taking her shoes and socks off. She was covered in tattoos, she looked a little out of place in this very formal and traditional church. But she went up and the older lady beckoned her over. Tears came to my eyes as I watched this old lady, on her knees, wash the feet of this young woman who society would have said they couldn’t have been any more different.

What is Foot-washing?

If you think about it, foot-washing as a practice is strange. It serves no functional purpose for us, we have showers and socks and shoes. But in the historical context of Jesus’ time, there was purpose. Much of the impact of this ritual is often lost on us because we lack the historical context that surrounds it.

In Jesus’ Time, there were scarcely sewage systems. Roads that people walked on were cluttered with garbage and animal excrement. Showers were a luxury, so it wasn’t uncommon for people to wash their feet which would be the most disgusting parts of their bodies after a long day. And here is Jesus, the person of highest authority in all spheres. Kneeling down to wash the disciples feet.

The gravity of the situation hit me as I saw this old lady kneel and wash this young ladies feet. It was a tiny picture of the sacrifice of Jesus because it felt wrong. Old traditional ladies don’t wash young, tattooed women’s feet. It should be the other way around.

But that’s the essence of the Gospel, isn’t it? That it should be the other way around. The wrong person died. The wrong person got off free. But Jesus gave his life up, it wasn’t taken from Him. (John 10:18). He sacrificed it for us.

Inner humility

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? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
-John 13:12-15

Whether Jesus intended for us to practice foot-washing is a separate matter entirely, and I honestly don’t think it’s that important of a discussion. The point of this text is simple. Serve those around you as you have been served by Jesus. Jesus owes you nothing. Yet has given you everything at great costs to Himself. If that does not impact your life and begin to change the way you view your life as a means of service to others, you have missed the point of Christianity and you might not have met the actual Jesus of the Bible.

There is an inner humility here that is missed on us if we read too quickly. If Jesus is perfect, his outward actions perfectly expressed his inward desires and emotions. Jesus knows He will not be repaid for these acts of service from his disciples. They will fall asleep on Him in his hour of greatest need. And yet, Jesus has a deeply moving sense of humility that drives him to love and serve. Is that the kind of Jesus you know? Do you know of His grace?

What is Grace?

Are you aware of just how deeply Jesus has served you? We are sinful creatures. All of us. Even if you’ve not killed anyone or never had an affair, or never been addicted to pornography. You are still far more sinful than you realize and your contempt for those who sin in those ways is perhaps your own sin of pride. I’m not trying to say some sins are not more weighty than others, nor am I excusing the sin in our lives. I am simply raising up the biblical fact that all of us are far more sinful than we realize and we do not deserve anything from God.

And yet, we’ve been served with grace. I am deeply moved when I consider these things. It’s often hard for us to conceptualize this Christian word we throw around a lot: Grace. But here we have a clear picture of it in one of its angles. Sacrificial service.

To give grace always costs the giver something. If you are wronged and you forgive someone who hurt you, when you extend grace you are saying: “I will not make you pay for that. Instead, I will absorb it and extend mercy.” Because of this, grace always comes from a place of sacrifice, that is what makes it grace. Because someone must pay, and it is the one who gives grace who must pay.

Jesus’ feet-washing was a symbol of grace that would be more fully realized in his sacrificial death for our sins on the cross. We wronged Him, He absorbed the price and has extended us endless grace. That is sobering.

This easter, reflect

Easter is a time for reflection. To consider the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Will you set aside 10-15 minutes at some point over the weekend to reflect? Here are some helpful questions:

Why did Jesus die for me?
Do I truly believe Jesus was a man of humble service?
Do I think I deserve His service?
Do I see that Jesus’ death was my fault? It was my sins laid on Him. (Isaiah 53: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities)
Have I lived my life in a way that is marked by this service/grace? If not, the answer isn’t only to try and be more humble/sacrificial. We change by beholding. So reflect more on how Jesus is humble and sacrificial to you and you will then be able to offer that to others in your own life.
Do I extend grace to others and absorb the cost?