““No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” (John 13: 8 )
The confession of faith says, “In this act, Jesus showed humility and servanthood, even laying down his life for those he loved. In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus acted out a parable of his life unto death for them, and of the way his disciples are called to live in the world. Believers who wash each other’s feet show that they share in the body of Christ.” [Emphasis mine]
I am trying to imagine a domestic scene, or a lover’s tryst where one “beloved” washes the feet of another. Here, my beloved, let me wash your tender toes and bathe your sweet soles, and then dry them paying attention to each delicate digit. No, I can’t quite picture it.
But Jesus Christ, who showed most perfect love, washed the feet of his disciples. And he told Peter, his most inconstant supporter, that if Peter did not let Jesus wash his feet, he/Peter would have not belong to Jesus. While other theologies and traditions of Mennonites focus on Christ’s ministry, foot washing is intended to bring us into relationship with each other. By modeling Christ’s actual actions of kneeling in front of his disciples to wash their dirty feet, we humble ourselves and place ourselves into the service of another. Having been both the washer and the washee, I can testify to the fact that it is a humbling experience – to be both! It changes things to have one’s peers and contemporaries kneel in front of you, and to kneel in front of them. There is a sense of belonging to each other, caring for each other, and being in service to each other. Pride and position has no place in this.
Peter wanted to belong to God, heart, body, and spirit. At times he did not do so well at this; but later in his life he excelled at it. I would like to think that with patience and diligence would can succeed at this also – setting aside our ego and will, and serving others as Jesus did.
May you gentle reader find ways to belong to your fellow believers, and may you strive to exemplify the servanthood of our Lord. Selah!
