“Poured Water on the Hands of Elijah”

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

II Kings 3:11

When Jehosaphat, King of Judah asked Jehoram, King of Israel if there was a proper prophet of the Lord to inquire of, he was told of Elisha who “poured water on the hands of Elijah”.

Elisha was the apprentice/servant of Elijah.  References to washing the hands and feet of others was a task for servants of the lowest sort.  In other words, King Jehosophat is told that Elisha was the servant of Elijah, who now sits in his place as God’s prophet.

The Lord Jesus most strikingly used this image of washing feet when He de-robed Himself and washed the feet of His disciples.  In this action, the Lord placed Himself as their servant, which the absurdity of the though particularly affected Peter.  Yet the Lord taught that disciples are not above the master, and so if our Master is a servant, what should that make us?

Jesus did much more pour water to wash hands and feet but poured His blood to wash away our sins.  He served us quietly and humbly as a sheep being prepared to be a slaughter.  If we are going to have any real impact on the world giving it light and the savor of Christ, then we too must have His mind and heart in how we serve others, not in an air of superiority, but in the quiet humbleness of our Master who washes feet.