Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:1-17; NRSVue
Recently there was a commercial during the Super Bowl that at least in circles I’m a part of, was the most talked about. I just watched it for the first time. It was sponsored at least in significant part by groups who have promoted anti-LGBT campaigns which end up putting people’s lives at risk. The commercial itself was touching to me. It is under the theme: “He Gets Us,” referring to Jesus getting us. Although I’m a bit slow to pick up things like this, according to one source, it’s basically those considered superior in the establishment washing the feet of supposed inferiors. The response has been mixed, from positive to negative and everything in between.
Foot washing in Christian tradition has a link to Maundy Thursday of Holy Week which is the day when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. In the Mennonite church in which I grew up, every time we had communion, which was maybe like once a quarter (at the most), the women would head downstairs into the basement, the men remaining upstairs to wash each other’s feet. The symbolism was derived from an interpretation of the passage above, that we as Christ’s followers, already washed as in regenerated through Christ’s word, in need of cleansing along the way from Christ (an interpretation of the above passage), are in the ritual itself simply signifying our loving service to each other. I have not talked it through with our church or other believers, but it seems to me that such a ceremony would be for those who in that church have committed their lives to Christ through water baptism. If a stranger wanted to participate, then certainly they should be welcomed to do so. Or perhaps someone reticent who has been hurt by churches in the past. But like all such in a church, this is voluntary, never forced, and an expression of love by baptized believers to each other.
On the surface I like the thought of the commercial. But if you dig a little deeper, and especially into groups that sponsored it, and it was a hefty sum, I think it loses a lot of its power.
I doubt that we should stew and fret over it, but let’s put it to the test. Does it have any substance in real life? We can test it and find out. In spite of what one sees when one digs just a little deeper, I like the main point it gives. Christ’s death was for the world, for everyone, for the Gazans being killed right now in a relentless brutal campaign by Israel, for all on both sides. For Russian and Ukranian military engaged in that awful war. For everyone without exception, yes. God’s love knows no bounds.
The problem is that this message is either denied by too many churches through both their words and deeds, or simply put on mute and all but ignored by others who perhaps want to be exegetically (Biblically) accurate. And then again, it shouldn’t escape our notice the hypocrisy of those paying the money for it as if they live up to it because sadly, they don’t.
Yes, let’s accentuate the basic meaning of the passage in our thought and practice. A lot of Mennonite churches have abandoned the ritual ceremony, though perhaps symbolically it is a good reminder to us of the meaning that in life we’re to be servants of each other. And from that servant heart, we’re surely to see ourselves as servants to the world, to all in the sacrificial love of God in Jesus. That should be our focus. Certainly not to score points in a culture war. Not letting go of the main point: God’s love in Christ is for the world, for all. Which means all are received in God’s love in Christ without exception, our neighbor to love, a neighbor to love us.
Jesus community 