Scripture: John 13:1-17
It was just
before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave
this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he
now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening
meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son
of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus
knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come
from God and was returning to God; 4
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel
around his waist. 5 After that, he
poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them
with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to
Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you
going to wash my feet?" 7
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am
doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus
answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part
with me." 9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his
whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11
For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone
was clean.
12 When he had
finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.
"Do you understand what I have done for you?"
he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is
what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you
also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do
as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master,
nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. (Shortly after he had been
honored and worshipped where Mary had anointed his body and wiped his feet with
her hair and had been praised during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is his last private night with his
disciples. This is his last supper.) Jesus knew that the time had come for him
to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the
world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (Jesus could have asked them all to wait
on him - even those facing the electric
chair get to choose whatever they want for their last meal. Instead, Jesus gets
up and ties a towel around his waist and pours water into a basin of water and
begins to wash the disciple’s feet. This was not right because only servants
did that and often in a Jewish home they would not have Jewish servants do
that, rather gentile servants because this was the lowest activity anyone could
participate in. As you picture Jesus humbling himself in this way, does
Philippians 2 come to mind? Phil 2:5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of
Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! This meal is less than 24 hours from before
his death. Yes, we get the big picture - Jesus had to die for our sins - but on
his way to the cross he didn’t have to stop - stoop - and wash our feet! But he does.
There is a song that mentions John doesn’t record the parables because
Jesus, in John, is a parable. By that he
means that Jesus takes common things and gives them not only spiritual meaning
like parables do, but Jesus makes them spiritual. Foot washing is just an act of cleaning
feet…unless Jesus is doing it; and then commands us to do likewise. If it shows the full extent of his love, us
doing it would continue to show the full extent of his love. Does it mean literally wash one another’s
feet? It could, but it seems highly
unlikely, particularly in the times we live in.
Washing
feet today would look like Henry Nouwen who was a well respected Catholic
priest, author and professor at Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard. In 1986 he left
those good paying respectable jobs to work in a residential community serving
hundreds of mentally impaired people. He writes, “The Ark exists not to help
the mentally handicapped get “normal”, but to help them share their spiritual
gifts with the world. The poor of spirit
given to us for our conversion. In their
poverty, the mentally handicapped reveal God to us and hold us close to the
gospel.”)
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will
understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus
answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part
with me." 9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his
whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11
For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone
was clean.
Our best understanding
of this is like the difference between baptism and the Lord’s supper. Baptism signifies the forgiveness of our sin
and our initiation into the kingdom of God. Communion signifies our continual
cleansing from sin. Baptism - forgiven
for who we are - our sin nature. Communion - forgiven for the itemized things
we have done. Bath - major cleansing -
Foot washing to clean the dirt since your last foot washing for all the stuff
you have stepped in since then.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and
returned to his place. "Do you understand what I
have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and
rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the
truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than
the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do
them.
We have established
that Jesus likely did not mean literally wash one another’s feet but act lie he
acted. He - King of glory, stooped to the most degrading possible to show his
love for others. We, who are above no
one, must be willing to sacrifice our comfort, our pleasure, our self interest
for the sake of other and THEY will know we are Christians by our LOVE. If we are not able to do it toward one
another, how will we ever show his love to the world? How can you wash the feet of others? What is
part 2 of the church with heart - Love one another, primarily through small
groups. Jesus washed the feet of his
small group. You will never be close
enough to others till you are in a small group that meets regularly. Join or start a new small group and meet
regularly. Pray for each other, visit
each other in the hospital, at a death, at the birth of a child - care for each
other - wash each other’s feet. AGAIN -
if you are unwilling to do it there - how will you ever show Christ’s love to
the world?
FOOT WASHING
COMMUNION
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