Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His house had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside His garments, and girded Himself with a towel. Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you.” For He knew who was to betray Him; that was why He said “You are not all clean.” When He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and resumed His place, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent grater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
John 13:1-17
When God created Adam and Eve, His motivation was love. And His intention was to share a perfect love with Adam and Eve. This was distorted at the Fall, as we have previously discussed. Christ is sometimes referred to as the Second Adam, who came to show us how to live on communion with God. He showed us not just by word but also by example, how we are to love God and how we are to serve others. And one of the most important characteristics of love is humility.
On the evening now known as Holy Thursday evening, Jesus shared a meal now called “The Last Supper.” He then gave a long teaching recounted in the Gospel of John, chapter 13:31 through the end of chapter 17. This long teaching is sometimes referred to as “the Farewell Discourse.” We will discuss two lessons from the “farewell discourse” in the next two reflections. However, for this reflection, we are going to focus on the Last Supper.
Most people know that at the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Eucharist, by taking bread and wine and proclaiming that these were now His Body and Blood. The institution of the Eucharist is recounted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, but not the Gospel of John. It is also recounted in I Corinthians 11. The Gospel of John has the most theology on the Eucharist, specifically in John 6. However, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is not recounted in the Gospel of John. Rather, there is an account of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, and this is found only in the Gospel of John.
Judas was present at the Last Supper. He had already agreed to betray Jesus the day before (this is why we fast on Wednesdays, to commemorate the betrayal of Jesus by Judas). During the supper, Jesus rose from the table, and put a towel around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with the towel He has put around His waist. Jesus would have laid the basin on the ground, and knelt in front of each of the disciples in order to wash their feet. Imagine the humility of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, kneeling at the feet of the disciples. To wash the feet of Peter who would deny Him. To wash the feet of Judas, who would betray Him. To wash the feet of the others who would abandon Him. Imagine the humility of the Master to bend down and wash the servants, for the Teacher to minister to the servants. This is what humility is, to kneel before the other and to serve the other.
Simon Peter, the Rock on which Jesus said He would build the Church, and realized the inappropriateness of the Master stooping to the servant. And he questioned Jesus, “Lord, do YOU wash MY feet?” (John 13:6) as if to say that it should be other way around. Jesus replied, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” (13:7) Jesus was not only teaching by word but by deed and He was washing the feet of the disciples to show what it means to be humble and to serve. Shortly He would teach them about what it means to sacrifice. He didn’t just come out and say “be humble,” but demonstrated humility in a way that was understandable and would be something they could emulate.
Peter then objected more strongly: “You shall never wash my feet.” (13:8) Was this pride on Peter’s part, or his own attempt at humility. Regardless of which one it was, Jesus then retorted, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me.” (13:8) We exist as Christians because of our ability to show humility to one another. Humility is not a one-sided affair but we should all be humble towards one another. We also have to humble ourselves in front of the Lord. There are people who struggle to bend their knees in prayer. There are people who rarely worship, or rarely receive Holy Communion. All of these things show our own humility before the Lord. To receive Holy Communion is to allow Christ to wash over us, so that we have a part of Him, and He has a part of us. It’s like He said to Simon Peter, if we do not receive Him, then we will have no part in Him.
Jesus set an example for us. He said that if He, as Teacher and Lord, could wash the feet of His disciples, then they also should wash the feet of one another, meaning to serve one another with humility. A servant is not greater than the master, and in this case, the Master put Himself beneath the servants. In following this example, we should be willing to serve one another in humility, regardless of the status of others—whether they are older or younger, regardless of status, wealth, credentials, etc.
Lord, thank You for showing us an example of humility, not only when you washed the feet of the disciples but when You were nailed to the Cross for our sins. Help me to be a person of humility, who can set aside pride to serve others and to do tasks that are helpful, even when they seem menial. Help me to serve not only with humility but with joy as I serve. May I humble myself before You as well, and allow Your grace to wash over me through prayer, worship and Holy Communion. Through Your grace, may I be washed clean of sin through continual confession and repentance. Amen.
James 4:10 reminds us to Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you. Jesus humbled Himself before the disciples. We should humble ourselves before the Lord and one another.
