Read John 13:10-17. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
10 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.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one 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 Very truly I tell you, 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.
Reflections on the Word
“Foot washing. No way! That’s not a biblical mandate. Jesus was just trying to teach us to serve one another, not to literally wash each other’s feet.”
One almost never sees foot washing in a Protestant church. I do commend the Pope doing it once a year during Good Friday. In all my years as a member of a church or as a pastor, I have been involved with foot washing only three times. It is a very humbling experience to wash someone’s feet and to allow someone to wash my feet. It’s one of those experiences that one doesn’t forget easily.
The text says this, “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.”
On one occasion, I remember that we had a foot washing during a re-enactment of Good Friday. For our service, we took it one step further by having foot washing stations around the sanctuary, followed by Holy Communion. It was a very meaningful time for everyone.
Why don’t more churches, including our own churches perform foot washing as Jesus prescribed for his followers? Is it that we don’t want to extend our service or cut back on the sermon or worship songs? Is it too shameful or humbling for some of us? Is it that it’s too personal and that we don’t want anyone to touch our feet? Jesus could have used similar excuses to not wash His disciples’ feet, but he didn’t. Jesus, our Lord and Teacher washed their feet and would have wash our feet if we were there at that Passover Meal.
Did you noticed that the disciples called Jesus, “Teacher and Lord”? What did Jesus call Himself? He called Himself, “Lord and Teacher.” With Jesus’ title as Lord and Teacher, shouldn’t we as His followers be ready to voluntarily do this for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as unto the Lord? I hope this Good Friday and every Good Friday that we as a Christian community would consider following our Lord’s example to wash each other’s feet.
-Kingston