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Washing Feet

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.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Hm. - John 13: 1-5

When was the last time you washed someone’s feet? For most of us, our answer may be never. For others, we have to draw back to a time when our children were tiny and needed someone to wash them. Maybe we have been a part of ceremony at a church where we washed feet.

A few years ago, we held a volunteer appreciation night at Westside Christian Church. One of the events of the evening involved the elders washing the feet of the volunteers. Of course, it was intended to be symbolic of the scripture selection referenced above. I recall it being a strange experience. Afterall, washing of other's feet is not common in our culture. Furthermore, I really don’t like feet. Most, if not all of them, are ugly and many stink. I wouldn’t choose to wash feet. 

The washing of feet was a matter of hygiene in Jesus' day. The climate was sandy and dusty. Most wore sandals and others walked barefoot. Feet got dirty frequently and needed to be washed. Foot washing was, also, a sign of hospitality. Guests would enter a home and a servant would cleanse their feet for them from the journey. 

Jesus chose to step away from a significant meal to wash His closest friends' and followers' feet. This action had major significance. For the disciples, the washing of their feet was not a job for their Messiah. It was work for a servant. But for Jesus, washing His disciples feet was exactly what He was supposed to do.  

Jesus had “all things under his power.” That means Jesus had the power to stop the punishment and pain that was to come. But that wasn’t what His Father sent Him to do. He sent Him to serve. He sent Him to clean up a mess. He sent Him to wash feet, all feet. Consider this, Jesus even washed the feet of the man who would soon after betray Him and the man who would deny knowing Him. 

When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to live like Him, to love like Him. That means washing feet, the cleaner ones and the dirtier ones. 

Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt



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