rewind (part 4)

We are continuing this week in our journey backwards through the gospel of John. One of the things I want to note about John’s gospel this week is the unique perspective this gospel provides into the life of Jesus. The three other gospels in the Bible—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are all known as the synoptic gospels. Synoptic is a greek term that simply means “same view.” In other words, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all share a similar perspective and also share many of the same stories. John’s gospel stands uniquely apart from the other three. Today’s story provides an example of that.

The three other gospels all include some version of what we call the Last Supper. It is the night that Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples in the upper room before going out to Gethsemane and being arrested. John does not include the story of the last supper. But many biblical scholars agree that this story from John that we are looking at today happens in the context of that same Passover meal. John skips over all the detail about Jesus taking the Passover meal and turning it into a new ritual that we know as the sacrament of communion. Instead, John pulls a totally different scene from that evening which the other three gospel writers completely skip over.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke write about an event that becomes a sacrament to remind us of what Jesus does at the cross. John chooses to write about a different event, and it is an event that points us to a different sacrament that also reminds us of what Jesus does at the cross. See if you can spot the nod towards that other sacrament in this story from John 17.

John 13:1–17 (NIV)

John 13:1–17 NIV

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

In order for this story to make sense we need to spend a little time figuring out what this particular action of foot washing is all about in the time and culture of Jesus. So Jesus provides this extraordinary example of bending down to wash the feet of his disciples. But in the reality of that time and place, there is very little which is extraordinary about it at all. The one doing the washing is extraordinary, but the activity itself of washing feet is very ordinary.

washing feet upon entering a house was a very common event which would not have appeared odd or unusual to any of the disciples

Washing feet upon entering a house was a very common event which would not have appeared odd or unusual to any of the disciples. It was a very dry dusty terrain in Israel. And people wore sandals that were open. The result is that a person’s feet would get dirty every day from walking about outdoors. Therefore, it was a common practice to take a moment and wash your feet upon entering a house because—inevitably—everyone would get dirty feet.

customarily expected to be provided, but nobody wanted to be the one to do it

The intensive focus on hospitality in middle eastern culture meant that often it would be the custom of the host to provide for the washing of the guests’ feet. However, the job was seen as being so menial and degrading that the host would most certainly assign the task to the lowest of household servants. It was the job that was customarily expected to be provided, but nobody wanted to be the one to do it. This is why the very lowest in rank of household servants would get stuck with the task of washing the feet of those who entered the house.

I am not sure what our modern day equivalent might be to such a custom. In today’s world of pavement, sidewalks, lawns, and modern transportation, people do not get dirty feet just by waling around the way it happened in the time of Jesus. And with today’s footwear, our feet stay clean because most of the time our feet are completely covered in socks and shoes. We certainly do not have any cultural norms today that when we enter somebody’s house, we expect someone to be there ready to wash our feet. That would be odd to us.

I was at a conference recently which involved staying several days at a hotel near the conference sight. In our American culture, it is a bit of an expectation that when staying in a hotel, staff people come in during the day to make the bed and change out new towels and clean the bathroom. This particular hotel—like many others—was finding itself short on staff. There was a notice upon checkin that for those staying multiple nights, housekeeping would not come in to clean the room unless it was specifically requested. As I was in the lobby at breakfast one day, there was a conversation taking place among some guests at the next table over who were feeling a bit slighted that housekeeping would not automatically come in to make the bed and clean the bathroom every day. They felt entitled to receive a fresh made bed and clean bathroom without having to ask. And part of that expectation is that the low wage hotel housekeeping staff are supposed to be the ones who provide this service for the guests.

This might be something close to what the disciples felt about the entitlement that some lowly housekeeping attendant is expected to wash their feet as part of the hospitality which is supposed to be received as a guest. I wonder what might have happened in that hotel lobby if I leaned over from my table as another guest and offered to come stop by their room and clean their bathroom for them. Could you imagine if one of the other hotel guests comes in and does the housekeeping work in your room? Besides sounding kind of creepy, it would be utterly ridiculous. There is no way that would ever happen. On the one hand, there is an expectation that someone is supposed to come in and clean the room—it is expected to be the low wage hotel housekeeping staff. But on the other hand, you would be embarrassed and ashamed if anybody else besides that housekeeping staff provided this service.

I imagine this is how the disciples felt. It was a common expectation for the guests feet to be washed, but not like this. It is supposed to the housekeeping staff who does this job, not the master who is the highest of the guests in this house. And yet, this is exactly what Jesus does. More than that, it is what Jesus insists upon doing even when Peter objects. Let’s move on to spend a moment with that conversation.

I think we can understand here that Jesus is beginning to develop a symbolic metaphor in this action. Bending down to wash the feet of the ones he loves is symbolic of Jesus going to the cross for the ones he loves. Let’s read that part back into the story. Verse 6.

John 13:6 (NIV)

John 13:6 NIV

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Peter is asking, “Lord, are you going to the cross for me?”

Symbolically Peter is asking, “Lord, are you going to the cross for me?” Jesus affirms this in his reply.

John 13:7 (NIV)

John 13:7 NIV

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Jesus is talking about his path to the cross. Now look at what Peter says next.

John 13:8 (NIV)

John 13:8 NIV

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

Peter is saying, “No, you shall never go to the cross for me.”

Symbolically Peter is saying, “No, you shall never go to the cross for me.” To which Jesus replies.

John 13:8 (NIV)

John 13:8 NIV

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

the only hope for salvation and redemption is for Jesus to go to the cross for us

Jesus is affirming that the only way for any of us to have hope for salvation and redemption is for Jesus to go to the cross for us. There is no other way. Look where the conversation goes next; this is interesting.

John 13:9–10 (NIV)

John 13:9–10 NIV

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

why does Jesus say only the feet need to be washed?

This one is can sound confusing. Let me try to explain it. The symbolism of what Jesus is doing here is shifting just a little bit. I know in the action of the story Jesus is only washing the feet of disciples, but Peter turns the narrative of the story to acknowledge something profound. I need all of me cleaned, from head-to-toe, top-to-bottom. We might expect Jesus to answer by affirming Peter. You’re right, the sinful nature we all carry makes us completely filthy all the way from head-to-toe. And only Jesus can take the guilt of that sin away from us. I would have expected Jesus to answer something like that, but he doesn’t. Instead Jesus says you are already clean, only the feet need to be washed.

bath = justification — righteousness of Christ given once and for all on the cross

Maybe it is helpful to think of this in terms of justification and sanctification. Justification is what Jesus accomplishes for us on the cross. Jesus gave himself as the one and only sacrifice for all of our sin. It happened once and only once. The New Testament author of Hebrews makes this point. In the Old Testament, sacrifices for sin needed to happen again and again, over and over. But the one sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for taking away all the guilt of sin forever.

we symbolize this covenant “bath” with the sacrament of baptism

Because of the one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, you are now clean forever. Jesus has accomplished the one thing we could never do on our own to make us righteous before God. That is what we refer to as justification. We symbolize this yet today in the church with the sacrament of baptism. The water of baptism is a symbol of being washed and made clean by Jesus. We do not come to be baptized over and over again. We receive the sign of baptism once because the one sacrifice of Jesus is all that is ever needed. Jesus does not need to die again and again and again. We are already clean, and will remain clean forever because of Jesus. That is justification.

foot washing = sanctification — continual work of the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ

Sanctification is the continual action of the Holy Spirit in our lives to renew us and gradually conform us into the image of Christ. It is a life-long process in which we, as followers of Jesus, participate in the Spirit’s work of renewal. This is the part of our Christian life which is always seeking to rid ourselves of sin (even though the guilt of that sin has already been removed once and for all by the sacrifice of Jesus). Or in other words, you’ve already had the bath which makes you clean forever because of the cross, but there is still a place for the regular foot-washing of the Holy Spirit to be renewing us more and more into the image of Christ. Justification is once and for all; sanctification is a daily process which we always need.

car wash

I don’t know about you, but I’m not always quite sure how I feel about letting Jesus see just how dirty my feet actually are. I know that metaphor has lost its power because we are all people who wear socks and shoes and take showers every day. It’s like taking my car through a carwash this time of year in Michigan. It was sparkling clean just yesterday. But look at it now; you would hardly know by looking at it today that it was nice and clean just yesterday. That sanctifying renewal of the Holy Spirit is something we always need. And it comes with a regular confession of the dirt that we carry.

John 13:15 NIV

15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

And then there is one more symbolic metaphor tucked into this story. Jesus sets this action as an example to be followed. The entire scene is symbolic, so Jesus does not mean that we are literally supposed to wash one another’s feet. He is referring to the posture of humility in which we are willing to serve others rather than being served. In Luke’s gospel it is noted that right before this Last Supper gathering Jesus witnesses his disciples having an argument about which one of them is the greatest.

being the greatest not only means having to put myself on top, it means having to push down everyone else

Yup. That’s our world. How much of what you have done this past week has been about being the winner, being greater than others, being the one who is recognized and liked, being the one who everyone else looks up to. A world which values being the greatest comes at a cost. Being the greatest not only means having to put yourself on top, it means having to push down everyone else. When being on top is the goal, trampling over other people is the result.

one thing I can intentionally add to my routine this week to wash another’s feet

unexpected act of service to lift another up

something I ordinarily would not do

prayer: Holy Spirit, use this action to conform me into the image of Christ

Identify just one thing you can intentionally add into your routine this coming week to wash somebody else’s feet. Come up with just one humble act of service that you can add to activities this week that will lift somebody up instead of push other people down. Maybe you already have some things like that in your routine. I am encouraging you today to intentionally try to go one step further and add one more act of service that you may otherwise not do. And let this one intentional act of service to someone else be a reminder that you are doing this because it is Jesus who bent down to us and took the dirt of our sin to the cross.