Before celebrating the Passover meal with his followers, Jesus washed their feet.
Click here for an online Bible John 13:1-11
Feet got dirty back then. Streets were dirt and people wore sandals. A good host would have a slave wash the feet of his guests. So when Jesus started to wash his disciples’ feet they were shocked. I suppose it would be like having your boss (whom you have the utmost respect for) come to your house for a meal. He says to you, “Before we eat, I’ll go clean your toilets.” You would feel really odd having him clean your toilets.
Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet. It seems like humility on Peter’s part. He feels unworthy to allow Jesus to wash his feet. But is it really pride? Regardless, it is wrong. When the Son of God says, “I want to wash your feet,” you say, “Lord I am humbled, but not my will, but yours.” Peter recognized that he was out of line so he offered his whole body. Jesus told him that if he had wanted to wash his whole body then he would have said so.
Jesus had said that he only does what the Father does. Verse 1 says that Jesus was displaying the extent of his love. This is the picture of the love of God. He even washed the feet of the one who he knew was going to betray him. God has offered eternal life to all. The Bible says that Christ died for us even while we were enemies of God.
Taking on humanity was an act of humility for Christ. Dying on the cross was the supreme display of love. Peter didn’t get it. He saw things from a worldly point of view rather than a spiritual point of view. We have the Bible now, but we have to try hard to see things from a spiritual point of view and not fall into the same error as Peter by taking a worldly perspective.
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When peter asked for a bath -- I thought he wanted to be baptized again. I've always believed that Jesus was saying there is no need for you to be baptized again. As He said earlier: "Spirit gives birth to the Spirit" and Nic correctly points out: "How can one be born again?" Well, I just thought that was the point Jesus was making -- as well as saying when we walk in the world we are going to get a little dirty, but we have a duty to clean one another's feet... this is similar to other passages such as "salt loosing its flavor" or "as iron sharpens iron" or "first remove the beam in your own eye, so that you can see clearly to get the splinter out of your brother's eye." We need to use each other to help see ourselves. When we find change/illumination through studying scripture or bouncing ideas off of one another we may find that we have fallen away from the more simplistic view and direction of the Spirit. We may uncover sins that we did not know we had. Shedding of the flesh and adopting the Holy Spirit's direction to find new areas of growth in Christ is what I consider the washing of one another's feet to be. It is a very important and spiritual concept, to me. Just my two cents worth,
Love,
ej
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