Sunday May 19, 2013 | Jo Saxton
13 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.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, 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, “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.
In life, we try to put our best foot forward. Whether it’s interacting with others or just convincing ourselves, we hide the dirt in our lives and the shame that we feel. In this sermon, Jo Saxton shares with us the meaning behind Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and what it means for us.
Feet were disgusting during this time in history (not that they are pristine in today’s world). But in the first century, people wore sandals and the grime and dirt of the world would accumulate on their feet. And during this time when Jesus was in Jerusalem, there was a massive influx of people. So the trash would be widespread on the streets, and all the animals would be leaving their filth in the roadway. People’s feet would be covered in the dust, grime, and filth of the streets.
So, foot washing was done by the lowest of the low because it was a vile task. Even the slaves in the homes would be allowed to refuse to wash a person’s feet because it was so demeaning and disgusting. So, it was very disconcerting to the disciples that Jesus took on the role of washing their feet. Peter said what was on everyone’s heart when he exclaimed that Jesus would never wash their feet. But, Jesus was going after more than just cleaning their feet.
Foot washing was about being in covenant relationship with one another and Jesus. To be a part of Jesus, they needed to have their feet washed. And Jesus wasn’t saying that cleanliness was needed to be in the Kingdom. Jesus was saying that we need to be willing to bare the ugliest parts of our lives to each other and God. We must be willing to share our wounds, weariness, and our worries so that Jesus can make us clean.
Jesus will wash away our spiritual dust, dirt, and wounds. Jesus wants to wash away our daily grime that we pick up in our lives. We walk around in our daily lives collecting things that weigh down our soul. We collect shame, regrets, and hostility in our lives, and we don’t like to show that to one another.
On Sunday mornings, we usually put our best foot forward. We put on our nice clothes with our nice shoes, and we put on our best face as we go to worship God. We cover up our dirtiness. And we become competitive with others around us to appear clean. We try to give off the air of having it together and not having any dirt behind the scenes.
Will we let Jesus wash our feet? Peter expressed what is usually on our heart. We don’t want our dirtiness to be seen and handled by other people. But Jesus wants us to be in intimate community with him. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that Jesus is the one who can clean our dirt and grime on our souls. He can heal the wounds that have ripped our lives apart. He can calm our worries and give us energy in our weariness. We only have to let him.
Jesus wants us to wash each other’s feet. Many communities of people try to hide their dirtiness from the outside world. We don’t want to stand up and say how broken we are or how desperate we feel. We want to put on a good show, competing and contrasting with others. But Jesus wants us to wash other people’s feet, helping them to deal with their wounds and worries. Instead of competing and contrasting, we are to care for one another.
Jesus wants us to wash the feet of this broken world. We are supposed to uncover the infected areas of this world and be the hands of Jesus as they wash this world. We should seek out the broken-down in this world and help them to realize the community that they can have in the Kingdom.
Let the Lord have the last say in your life, and not your experiences. We all have shame and try to hide our woundedness from the world. But Jesus says that we don’t have to waste our energy doing that. We can be free with one another to share and receive help with the things that are on our minds. We can receive healing. The only question is will we allow Jesus to see and heal those parts of our lives?