How to serve
John 13:3 - 5 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.
In a dusty, mucky environment, hygiene is essential for survival. So the washing of feet before reclining at a low table appears to be a sensible, reasonable thing to do, similar perhaps to the washing of hands before eating. Only, foot washing requires a little more effort and is, perhaps, a little less pleasant to do. I understand that in the AD30s in a Middle Eastern context of hospitality it would have been expected to be offered a foot wash before a meal, and that it would have been something that a lowly member of the household would facilitate. So, when Jesus, fully aware of his divine mission, gets up, un-robes himself, picks a towel and wash basin, and proceeds to do the servants’ job there is a huge significance in what he is doing: He is aware of his impending betrayal, suffering and death, he loves those around him; apart from their feet they are clean (though not all of them), and so he does the one thing needed to be hospitable. Where there is dirt he washes, where there is hunger he feeds, where there is sickness he heals, where there is sin he redeems.
The way I imagine the situation when Jesus comes to wash Peter’s feet is that there is a fair amount of splashing going on as well as the conversation recorded in the bible. Perhaps the odd “Oy!” or whatever the Aramaic equivalent is. In the painting by Ghislaine Howard I see a natural, hospitable thing Jesus is doing, without pomp or ceremony. And Peter equally seems to be just himself.
In the explanation given later on, Jesus encourages us to similarly do the positive thing, when and where it is appropriate, without doublethink or hidden agenda or ego-drama.
Questions
How do you imagine the experience of Jesus washing your feet? What conversation do you imagine having with him?
How can we live out our divine mission and be servants to others (without doublethink, hidden agenda or ego-drama)?
Stephan Helfer