FOOT WASHING

John 13 records the Foot Washing account that took place during the Last Supper. It is a beautiful story and especially as Peter is confronted with this humble act from Jesus. As this story teaches, and by those with personal experience, it is difficult to decide which is more humbling… washing feet or having feet washed?
My opinion: having feet washed.

As I recently meditated on this text it brought up other questions. The Foot Washing by the Lord was an example and custom of the times to serve guests in a certain way. Jesus said, “If you have had a bath, you only need to wash your feet” (13:10). I started to wonder if the Foot Washing was symbolic of other things that needed cleansed. Is washing dirty feet a prototype of washing dirty minds, dirty language, dirty jokes or washing dirty politics, dirty computer searches, dirty money schemes, dirty sexual schemes or dirty religion?

No matter ‘the dirt’ it is as Ezekiel wrote: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.” Or the famous, Psalm 51:7: “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

Paul, an apostle, wrote to Titus: “But when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). That cleans things up.

“You ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” Jesus