John 13: 1-17
“14So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another’s feet.15For I have set you an
example, that you also should do as I have done to you.16Very truly,
I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers
greater than the one who sent them.17If you know these things, you
are blessed if you do them.”
There have been plenty of “firsts” for this Renewed
Christian this year.
Last night was a first- attending a Maundy Thursday
Service. Another first, I washed my
husband’s feet and he washed mine, just as Jesus did before the Last
Supper.
Rev. Jason helped us understand the cultural and
historical significance of feet washing in the time of Jesus. Feet washing was an act of hospitality, a way
of setting the stage for a guest of the household to feel welcomed. As such, it was delegated to the servants to
do or for the slaves of the household, and it became a divider of status.
By washing feet in last night’s service, we had a
chance to “set an example” of humility and care. Children washed their parents’ feet, parents
returned the favor, friends washed friends’ feet, and Rev. Jason washed the
feet of Michael, our worship leader.
At first I was nervous- such an intimate act and an
act I thought demonstrated humility and obedience- kneeling before another and
washing that person’s feet.
And then I thought, this is another ultimate
example.
Jesus is quite deliberate in his actions, telling
the Disciples that they too should wash each other’s feet- that there is no
division in God’s world.
Think of how many phrases humans have for this role
change:
180° change Turning the tables Changing places Put in place of
Switch Turnabout Reversal Reclassification Game changer
Exchange Role change Trading places And
so on…
We use words to describe this deceptively
simple role change. Jesus used personal
example to impress upon the Disciples how important it is to give the acknowledgement
of humanity. Little did the Disciples
know how everlasting a memory Jesus also created.
“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”.
Renewed Christian
I can remember doing a foot washing excercise at a church officer retreat many years ago. Like you, I was very nervous at first. It took awhile for me to get comfortable with the idea - as I watched others ahead of me do this physically simple (yet mentally challenging) task. Aside from worrying if my feet were dirty or smelly, I worried more about how the other person - the one whose feet I would be washing - would feel. In the end, it was an incredibly emotional, rewarding experience. We all commented how it transformed our thinking about what it means to be a servant, and how Jesus viewed servanthood. One of my favorite hymns from my old church was "The Servant Song." I know that Covenant focuses on contemporary music in its worship, but "The Servant Song" says perfectly what the feet washing exercise is all about. I encourage you to look up that song. And, maybe, Michael could play this song with his acoustic guitar, at an upcoming service. I know people would love it. Thanks for your insights!
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