If you’ve been around the church for any amount of time you may have heard of churches that have foot washing services. In these services you remove your shoes and a member of the church comes and washes your feet. While there is nothing wrong with this, I’ll tell you right now that I’m pretty sure I’d leave before it was my turn.
But is this really what Jesus was calling us to do when he washed the disciple’s feet and instructed them to do likewise?
The Scene
The night that Jesus was betrayed, which was the day before he was crucified, Jesus and the disciples gathered into the upper room for the Passover. The upper room was likely a large rented room on the upper level of someones home. The Passover was an annual celebration in Israel where the people of God recounted the events recorded in the book of Exodus when God freed the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. Each Passover celebration was one week long and included a very important meal where the events of the Exodus were remembered and God’s freedom was celebrated.
Dinner tables at the time were very low to the ground and there were no chairs. People would recline around the table which would often mean that your head was near to the person’s feet next to you. It was important therefore to have clean feet.
The Culture
It was not uncommon in Israel for people to have servants. God’s Word, the Old Testament, gave instructions to those who had servants to ensure that their treatment was kind and just. But the Jews had made a distinction in their mind between Jewish servants and non-Jewish servants. Non-Jews were called Gentiles.
The duty of foot washing was not pleasant. People wore sandals. They walked around dusty streets. Animals would defecate in the streets. Feet were dirty and foot washing was not fun. Because of this Jewish servants were not required to wash feet, that job was reserved for Gentiles.
Shock and Awe
Let’s now return to the scene. With no servants present, Jesus took off his outer garments and prepared to wash his disciples feet. You can read all about this in John 13, in fact I encourage you to do so.
But when it comes time for Peter to have his feet washed he exclaims “Lord, do you wash my feet?'“ Peter knew who Jesus was. He knew Jesus was the Lord. He knew that he was the disciple and Jesus was the master. Peter was shocked to find that Jesus was going to wash his feet. Peter then objects “You shall never wash my feet.”
The Confusion
One of the things we need to understand in this story is that Jesus told Peter that he didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about but that some day he would. What Jesus is telling Peter in this moment is that the foot washing wasn’t really about foot washing. But as Jesus said, Peter didn’t yet understand that.
The Shift
Jesus insists on washing Peter’s feet and tells him that if he doesn’t wash Peter’s feet then Peter has no part in the salvation that Jesus has to offer. Peter then shifts to the complete opposite end of the spectrum and says “Lord, no my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Peter, still confused about what Jesus is really teaching the disciples, decides he wants as much of Jesus as he can get. With good intentions he invites Jesus to wash more than his fee.
But Jesus tells him that those who are clean and bathed don’t need to have their whole body washed, but just their feet.
What’s Jesus Really Talking About?
Though Peter did not yet understand what was going on, Jesus was showing them what he was doing for them spiritually. By faith, all of these men except Judas had been forgiven of their sin. They had been cleansed from all the wrong that they had done. But sometimes, as we go about life in this dirty world, our feet get a little dirty. And when our feet get dirty with sin, whether it’s someone else or ours, we might need to have our feet washed a bit.
Jesus closes this act of kindness to his disciples by telling them, and us, that what he has done we are also to do for one another.
The Disconnect
I think most Christians understand that Jesus wasn’t really talking about foot washing. He was really talking about being cleansed spiritually, cleansed from our sins. If we understand that Jesus was really talking about spiritual things, why do we continue to wash peoples feet?
Maybe it’s symbolic. It could be a gesture that shows ones commitment to serve others and to do them spiritual good. But I don’t think that’s the only reason. I think it’s also easier than what Jesus is really calling us to.
Washing One Another
I think what Jesus is really calling us to do is to help one another to be cleansed from the sin that so easily entangles us. We are called to be their for one another and help.
Matthew 18 gives instruction on how to correct others when they are caught in sin.
Galatians 6 tells us that we are to bear the burdens of other’s sins so that they might not be caught in them, paying careful attention not to get caught up ourselves.
The call on our lives is to be connected to people relationally. So much so that we know how to help keep each other clean from sin. We walk through life together calling out the pot holes and land mines that might get our feet dirty. And we do get dirty, we wash one another with the pure water of the Word…a washing that Christ has already done for us (see Eph. 5:26).
It’s easier to wash feet than it is to live life together.
It’s easier to wash feet than to be vulnerable to others so they know where we might get tripped up.
It’s easier to wash feet than to correct our friends when they go wrong.
It’s easier to wash feet than to receive correction.
It’s easier to wash feet, but it isn’t better.
May you be blessed by those in the church who love you enough to tell you when your feet have gotten dirty.
And may you love others enough to speak up as well.