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John 13 (Part 1)

Jesus knew the hour had come
that soon He should depart.
He loved them all unto the last,
him tugging at His heart.

The devil having done his thing,
his heel was lifted up;
but this thing, too, was given Him –
and us if we would sup.

He laid His garments to the side.
A towel He made His girdle.
With water in a basin now,
He'd overcome this hurdle.

Their feet He took them in His hands
and washed them every one.
He washed their feet though they were clean
except for Simon's son.

He came to Simon. Peter said,
“Lord, do You wash my feet?”
“What I do now you do not know.”
(Be patient. Keep your seat.)

“Never shall You wash my feet.”
(I'll never stand for that.)
“If not, with Me you'll have no part.
You don't know what I'm at.”

“Not just my feet – my hands! my head!”
(With You I need my part.)
Before He spoke, Jude noticed this –
his way His eyes did dart.

“Who's bathed needs nothing else to do;
he's clean as clean can be,
but you're not all.” (Jude had a fault
that just the two could see.)

The covenant was made in stealth
so only he would know.
The darting eyes spoke otherwise.
Here's what those eyes did show.

They showed that Jesus knew the tale
that only Jude should tell,
but this He kept between them two –
He'd taught them this as well.

He'd taught them, “If a brother fail,
to him go tell his fault;
and more than that, for your sake, too,
forgive him as you ought.”

So now His eyes accomplished that;
his washing did it, too.
Examples of these lessons, here,
He gave for me and you.

But if our heart is hardened
against those we have judged,
our mind's made up and nothing said
can ever make us budge,

if forever we're against them,
and we always hold the grudge,
in the arteries of life we serve
as nothing more than sludge.

Jude heard the words of Jesus.
He's the only one who could
because He kept it private –
that's the way He said they should.

So taking up His garments
and once again His seat,
He asked them if they understood
regarding washing feet.

Of course they couldn't understand
the example He had given,
but afterward they'd hear the tale
that Judas was forgiven.


Note: The poem "John 13" is published here on PoetrySoup in three parts to avoid a negative character count on the "Add New Poem" draft page. I divided the poem rather than try to publish it from the draft page with a negative character count.
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