Andrew Martinez was one of the greatest caddies in the history of golf, caddying for greats like Johnny Miller, John Cook, and Tom Lehman. He was also a talented athlete in his own right. Part of what made him extraordinary as a caddie was his devotion to his boss, which started as soon as he stepped into the caddie shack and put on the white overalls. In his role, he lost himself. He was still Martinez, but the name on his back read differently; he existed solely to serve someone else, despite his own giftedness and capabilities.

The night before He died, in what is one of the most memorable scenes from His earthly life, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. One of the reasons He did so was to model humble service, for the work of foot-washing was the role of a slave, not of a king. We can all benefit from following His example: the Creator washed the feet of His creatures and, in so doing, He served both His feuding disciples and His betrayer, Judas. Such an action was above and beyond the typical hospitality this ritual entailed.

Jesus’ actions were an example for us to follow (“you also ought”), but they were not merely an example—and if all we latch on to in this account is the call to copy Jesus’ humble behavior, we risk getting lost in moralism and missing Christ’s full and glorious intention. As He washed His disciples’ feet, Jesus knew what the immediate future held. He was acutely aware that a time of great sorrow—His coming crucifixion—was imminent. His action showed that the future is always in the Father’s loving hands. The cleansing of His followers’ feet symbolized the future cleansing of their souls—a cleansing not by the water in His bowl but by His blood on the cross. In His humility, the Son of God offers to wash us clean of the stain of our sin, and we must meet His humility with ours by accepting our desperate need and asking to be so washed.

Only once we appreciate how we have been served by our Savior will we serve others in the same way. Peter, who at the time was confused by what Jesus was doing (John 13:6-8), would one day grasp his Lord’s message. Years later, he would encourage his fellow believers to “humble yourselves … under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). He knew that Christ’s example was meant to do far more than modify our behavior; it was meant to humble us and then to assure us of our forgiveness.

In what way are you called to wash the feet of others today? How can you sacrifice your own time or comforts to serve those around you in ways that can be motivated only by humble love? And most importantly, how can you serve others in ways that point them to the greatest act of service—the cleansing that Christ’s blood, shed on the cross, provides?