Foot Washing

One of the great stories in the Bible occurred when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. As he was washing their feet He said,

“What I do now you will not understand, but there will come a time when you will understand.” Peter said, “Lord you shall not wash my feet.” Jesus said, “If I do not wash your feet you have no part with me.” Peter then said, “Then not my feet only, but my hands and my head.” Jesus said. “He who has bathed need only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” Jn 13:

There are churches today that have foot washing services in memory of this event. I don’t think this is a wrong thing to do, but do they really know what Jesus was trying to say?

Since He says, “he who has bathed is completely clean then why would they have no part with Him if their feet were dirty?

The living metaphor of the foot washing is a grand picture of the predicament of a person who believes in Christ. This was a picture that Jesus wanted to be indelibly printed on the psyche of the disciples, and one which we should have photo-transitioned in own as well.

In these perilous times as we watch the dollar cascade down, jobs vanish, home values rapidly decline, and the polarity between conservative and liberal polarize creating a chasm of grand canyon dimension, our feet, as we walk through this life, can become clotted with filth. We hardly notice the clods of dirt that accumulate in our walk as we go about our days. Our language becomes compromised, our decisions are tainted, and our attitude towards those who are on the opposite side of our views becomes darkened.

Our feet are sullied by this life, because we have to walk in it. We are still humans, and as a result the world affects our fellowship with God.

Hence we need a foot washing. Not only do we need Jesus to wash our feet, unless He does, we have no part with Him, and in addition we cannot help those whose feet have become likewise affected by just living. We are called to wash one another’s feet. The meaning is of course, (without a condescending attitude) includes not forgetting that our own walk also gets sullied

We are called to put our walk (our feet) in the hands of Christ, so that we can be cleansed. It is amazing what a few moments in the Word can do. It washes our feet, hence how we walk. Once are feet are cleaned we are restored to being fully cleansed, and can then affectively serve others. Are you feet clean?

“He who has bathed need only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” Jn 13:

We are the sons of God.

Ken