Making Sense of Foot Washing

This is the first time I have ever "blogged" (is that the right verb?).

So, as a first attempt, I'm posting some thoughts on Footwashing that were shared with me.

 

St. Luke's will offer foot washing as part of our Maundy Thursday worship (Thursday, March 28 @ 7:00).  I hope you will participate.

 

Blessings on your journey this week ~

+ Pr. Sara

 

Making Sense of Foot Washing

by Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Notes)

Feet are gross, or so I have often heard. All that sweat and smell. They do a lot of work, and thus get worked on. Scars, bunions, broken toes- all signs of well used feet.

It wasn't any different in Jesus' day. Probably it was worse. When you're walking through towns and streets and farms where animals were always present, and you're walking in sandals, well, feet picked up a lot of undesirable qualities. It was the lowest-rung servant who knelt by the door and washed the feet of those who came in the house, usually a young girl or boy. This servant was the least of the house servants doing the worst of the jobs.

So when Jesus washes the feet of those he loves (John 13), it isn't just symbolism, it was a real cleaning. It was scrubbing dirty things from an undesirable place. No wonder Peter wouldn't take it. This act upsets the good order intended for the house. The master of the house should NOT be washing feet. Yet here is Jesus, taking the bottom rung and owning it.

Jesus says to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8)

Huh. Unless you let Jesus get down and dirty with the parts of you you don't want to share, then you just don't get it. You have to let Jesus in. It is not a time to hide the ugly and undesirable. Washing feet is opening up the most vulnerable part and letting Jesus in to make it clean.

Jesus goes on to say that he does this as an example to the rest of us, what we are supposed to do (John 13:14-15). I don't think this just means we are supposed to only wash feet, I think this means we are called to have our feet washed too. We don't just get to serve, we have to humble ourselves and be served as well, even in the places that aren't always so nice.

This Thursday, we will be washing feet as a part of our Maundy Thursday Service (7pm). Perhaps you are thinking, there is no way I am letting someone wash my feet. Instead I would encourage you to consider that it is time to let Jesus in, to clean the places we would rather hide. It humbling to wash feet. Maybe it is more humbling to have your feet washed.

Come, serve and be served. Come, wash and be washed.