Jesus Loved His Betrayer

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (John 13:1 NIV) 

Jesus answered, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (John 13:10, 11 NIV)

The passage I read this morning was all about Jesus washing his apostles' feet. Yesterday, I listened to a podcast by Elevation Chruch called, "How to Hug a Vampire." He used the same passage then, too. I usually skim over this passage, thinking it a common part of Scripture, and thinking I already knew what the passage was all about: service. But the pastor speaking in the podcast pointed out one thing: Jesus washed the feet of Judas, too. And at his point, Jesus knew who would betray Him.

It gives a deeper meaning to service. It's easy to serve people you like. But Jesus shows us that his example includes the ones who hurt us, the ones who disappoint us.