Maundy Thursday – 1st April 2021 – John 13,1-15
Prominence of Being Served by Others
Jesus’ washing the feet of His disciples is a powerful demonstration of Jesus’ love for His followers. Through His prophetic depiction of a disciple’s lifestyle, Jesus teaches them what it means. The dialogue with Peter shows Peter’s hastiness. Peter strongly resisted to Jesus’ action. He is shocked that Jesus, his Master-Teacher, should condescend as a servant to one who is unworthy as he. The sight of the Son of God in the role of a servant is disturbing and so he disapproves Jesus’ action boldly. In fact, all the disciples would have been shocked to have Jesus wash their feet. They were so shocked and afraid that they sat in stunned silence, until Jesus came to Peter. He probably verbalized their thoughts and protested saying, “You shall never wash my feet!” (Jn 13,8).
Peter illustrates the extremes of human nature. He vowed that Jesus would never wash his feet – and here “never” literally means “not for eternity.” Jesus answered Peter that apart from His washing, there could be no fellowship with Him. At this juncture, the meaning of foot-washing is unfolded. Jesus says it is necessary for Him to wash Peter’s feet and all the others. While it was difficult for the self-reliant Peter to be served by another. Yet Jesus plainly shows him that being a disciple means not only serving others but also learning how to be served by others. Peter has to learn to depend on others, to realize his need to be helped, before he is able to be a true servant like Jesus.
Jesus also taught Peter the spiritual meaning of foot-washing. Peter knew that Jesus was performing the physical act, but he did not understand the significance of spiritual washing. The key to Peter being a disciple and participating in Jesus’ ministry is expressed in the foot washing, i.e., sharing in the self-giving love that will bring Jesus’ life to an end. He would know it soon, however, because Jesus explained it by himself. And Peter would know it by experience when later he would be restored to Risen Jesus after having denied Him.
Peter’s unwillingness at first to let Jesus serve him did not stem from humility, but from pride. It embarrassed him to think of Jesus washing his feet. That implied that his feet were dirty and in need of washing. In a way, it would have served Peter’s pride much more if he had washed Jesus’ feet. But Jesus explained that He needed to wash Peter’s feet and his disciples, in order to make everyone share in His universal salvation. Now Peter shifted his response to the other extreme. A minute ago, he was saying, “never.” The impulsive Peter then urges Jesus to wash not only his feet but his whole body. When Jesus said “you have no part with Me,” He did not mean that Peter could not be saved unless He washed him, but rather that fellowship with the Lord can be maintained only by the continual cleansing action of the Scriptures in his life. When you come into God’s presence, you instantly recognize your need for cleansing. As in another instance, Peter fell at Jesus’ feet and cried out, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5,8).
On the way back from the public bath, a person’s feet would get dirty again. He doesn’t need to have another bath but needs to have his feet washed. There is a difference between the bath and the basin. The bath speaks of the cleansing received at the time of one’s salvation, , especially at the Baptism. Cleansing from the penalty of sin through the blood of Christ takes place only once. The basin speaks of cleansing from the pollution of sin and must take place continually through God’s word. There is one bath but many foot-washings. “You are clean, but not all of you” means that the disciples had received the bath of regeneration – that is, all the disciples but Judas. He had never been saved. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, and so He singled out one as never having had the bath of redemption.
