Jesus Washes Feet (Lent 2)

Our Gospel reading today is a quintessential Lenten text. The cross is squarely in Jesus’ sites. As we considered on Ash Wednesday, now he is staring death in the face. The evil one’s work is unfolding.

As well, in this text we have some of the main cast of characters in the Jesus stories. There is a quorum, the disciples are assembled. Judas, he’s there. John, Peter, Matthew, Andrew, Philip, the others.

While John doesn’t explicitly state that this is the same night as the betrayal or that this is a Thursday, but we have come to understand this as the pivot in John’s gospel where Jesus’ passion begins to occur. This is Holy Week material. But John’s gospel focuses less on the quick narrative pieces, like Mark or Matthew include, but rather brings in this sacred, simple, humbling moment — alongside the celebration of passover, Jesus makes another symbolic shift in a practice. He washes the disciples’ feet.

Let’s hear our Scripture reading:

John 13:1–17 NRSV

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. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Foot washing. During dinner?

Tell me what some of your reactions are to this passage…

So one important thing to note is that in Jewish cleanliness laws, feet are dirty, unclean, and therefore the hands must be ritually cleansed in order to be in good standing. So you don’t wash feet — in the middle of dinner no less.

And as you’ve probably been reminded before in relationship to this story, people’s feet are dirty. Walking from place to place, stone and dirt roads. Hot weather. Sweat.

I wear Birkenstocks most of the Summer around here. Barefeet on open footbeds, leather, cork. Beautiful Birkenstocks.

Except. I’ve been told my Birkenstocks need replacing. I don’t really know, I think they’re fine. But, the do smell a little. Ok, maybe a lot. And the footbed, it used to be a light shade of tan…now it’s almost black. Hmmm.

It’s always most pungent after a good long walk outside. The dirt and sweat meld into a thin film of lubricant that begins to become a third thing, no longer dirt or sweat, but Stock-stench.

Again, I don’t think they need to be replaced yet. But I’ve even had other people kindly recommend I need new ones. I’m not sure I believe it.

Anyways, I’ll admit it…they do make my feet…um…stink.

Totally worth it.

As well, this is another occasion where Jesus subverts the assumed power dynamics of the group. Jesus is their rabbi, their teacher. Jesus is a faithful Jew and therefore sets an example to his followers on what that faithfulness looks like. But instead of holding that power over his friends, Jesus yields it, subverts it, to do a messy job you’d only have a servant do for you.

Again, with notice to the ritual cleansing laws, feet and dirt and the dinner table — there are proper ways and an order or hierarchy in which these things are dealt with.

But with Jesus, the teaching is in the act and the words — the great will become the least.

Simon Peter doesn’t understand the situation. He doesn’t get what Jesus is doing.

Do we? What is he doing, why is this happening?

Peter tries to resist it, knowing that he is meant to be below Jesus in the order of things.

I love their exchange, where Jesus scolds Peter. They’re having another “get behind me Satan” encounter here, Peter and Jesus. Peter thinks he’s being helpful by questioning the appropriateness of this foot washing. Jesus, bluntly, states, “hey, if you don’t let me wash your feet, you are out of this.”

Fine, Peter relents.

But then he ups the stakes. Not only wash my feet, Jesus. I want you to wash my head and my hands too!

Feet, sure.

Hands? I guess, but why?

Well, you could hide your stinky feet under the table and probably get away with eating dinner. But your hands. You can’t have filthy, unclean hands.

And the head…well, this is beyond scrubbing up before dinner. This is blessing, anointing. This is a cup of oil on the head, wisdom and grace poured out.

I recently started using a new face wash.

Let me say that again, differently…I recently started washing my face.

Anyway…this new face wash, it exfoliates and does something with lactic acid I think. Pretty cool stuff. Got it at Target.

Face washing is important to personal hygiene.

Washing the face, putting oil on the beard, combing the hair. Super helpful in being clean. But why right here and now, Peter?

To wash the head is to place yourself under someone, to receive an intimate touch. Peter is asking to be blessed, anointed, hallowed in this sacred moment. And I hear in this desire from Peter a hope to be sanctified for the trials ahead. Peter wants to prepare for the fast, prepare for the loss. Next week, we will hear of his denials of Jesus. But right now, he wants to put his best foot and face forward. Oil’s gleam, waters purifying. A meal of passion.

Jesus goes on to explain a bit more about what’s going on.

He reminds them that if they washed themselves, they are clean, except for their dirty walking feet.

But this is also the moment he highlights the dissonant member in the room. One of you is not clean, has not washed. One of you has the shroud of uncleanliness upon you, even with your clean head and hair.

We know who Jesus is speaking of. Judas.

You see, no amount of ritual cleansing or piety changes the reality that the evil one has already convinced Judas betray Jesus.

A word about Judas: Is Jesus writing him off here? Is he damning Judas because of what he has yet to do?

I feel that it’s always important for us to consider Judas and his motivations as we approach Holy Week. Judas is the betrayer.

Last week week, we looked at how it is Jesus’ faithfulness to us, not our actions or deeds or even proximity, that matter. Jesus will raise Lazarus because he is faithful to Lazarus. Jesus is faithful to the end for and with his disciples. Jesus is faithful to the cross.

And, it can be argued, Judas is faithful. You see, Judas is faithful to playing his part in the Passion of Jesus.

Some have looked at Judas as the ultimate evil, the one who is second only to the Satan, the evil one. Judas is the bad guy. Others see Judas as cursed, unable to fight the temptations of money and influence.

But I’ve come to see Judas as faithful. Unclean, perhaps. Cursed, likely. Beloved of Christ? Yes, absolutely. Judas is faithful and this is part of Jesus being faithful.

Scapegoat thinking tells us that Judas is the one we should blame. But Judas is the one we should blame, but not in the way we think. Judas is faithful to what he must do. In order to let these movements of the cross, death, and resurrection, each person must be faithful to what is theirs to do.

Here we catch a piece of Judas’ faithfulness. Peter’s faithfulness, too. The disciples, faithfully coming and having their feet washed. Not because they get it, understand what it means, but because they are faithful to their teacher, Jesus.

The foot washing ends.

Alrighty, y’all. You don’t know what I’ve done, so let me tell you — I have given you an example. This is what true power and lordship mean — humility, subversion, lifting up the low, setting down our position.

And he instructs the disciples, and us: Now, go, wash others’ feet.

Have you ever had your feet washed?

Maybe at the nail salon?

Have you ever washed someone else’s feet?

It’s a very humbling experience, for both parties.

I remember the first time I had my feet washed. We were learning about this story in my middle-school youth group. One of the best parts of that youth group at Calvin Presbyterian is that my leaders were really creative with giving us glimpses of some of these more complex rituals and practices of the Christian story.

My youth leader knew I could “handle it” (ie: i wouldn’t giggle). And she washed my feet. Right there in the youth room. In front of everybody. It was humbling.

How often to you show your feet in public?

Probably not often.

You see, I don’t think the takeaway here is that we need to start a foot washing ministry. If we do need to do that, great, but let’s wait until the height of dusty summer, ok?

No, footwashing might look very different in practice for us.

It’s really not about feet at all. This is about Jesus modeling a way of submission, a yielding of power, a service to those we love.

I haven’t had my feet washed in a good while.

But you know what, these last 9 months, especially, since Stacy’s cancer recurrence, we have had our feet washed and cared for innumerable times. For us, it’s come in the form of meals in the freezer, cards in the mail. A generous check, right at the time it’s needed. It’s overnights for Asher, legos for Asher, time with Asher. It’s the friends who come over to sit. Or the gift of massages. All of these little things and big things.

You all are taking care of us in our dirtiest, hardest time.

Jesus gives his disciples the instruction — now, go wash others’ feet.

Go, care for each other. You see, isn’t this really about following along in caring for each other?

Look around. Do you know some way you could help another person here today? Do you know that you could receive help, a wash as it were? Would you be faithful…and do…and receive?

Receiving this gift is as much or more humbling that the act of doing the washing. You have to accept it. You have to release your need to be in control, to have the upper hand. You have to let the water get gross as your dirt washes away. You have to trust in the good gifts of the giver.

Christ is faithful. Because Christ is faithful to us, we respond in faithfulness to others. For Christ loves us, so we love each other.

We’re not going to have a foot washing station or anything. But I’ll challenge you: how can you wash another’s feet, literally, but probably also very much metaphorically, this week? Can we bear another’s burden, hold their load, walk alongside, and help them be clean? Isn’t this the greatest gift we have for one another?

As Jesus washes feet, so we are now to faithfully follow in kind.