TO WASH, OR NOT TO WASH

On Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) of every year, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church performs the ceremony of washing the feet of some disciples. Other religious groups, such as the United Pentecostal Church, Inc. and some Mennonite groups, also practice foot washing as part of their religious service. They claim to be following the example of Christ as presented in John 13:1-17. Seeing others practice foot washing and reading John 13 may cause the child of God to wonder if he should be washing the feet of the disciples as part of his religious service.

The washing of a visitor’s feet upon entering the home was a custom practiced during the first century. The International Standard Bible Encylopaedia points out, "The dusty roads of Palestine and other eastern lands make a much greater care of the feet necessary than we are accustomed to bestow upon them. The absence of socks or stockings, the use of sandals and low shoes rather than boots and, to an even greater degree, the frequent habit of walking barefoot make it necessary to wash the feet repeatedly every day. This is always done when entering the house, especially the better upper rooms which are usually carpeted. It is a common dictate of good manners to perform this duty to a visitor, either personally or through a servant; at least water for washing has to be presented (Gen 18:4; Lk 7:44). This had therefore become almost synonymous with the bestowal of hospitality (1 Tim 5:10). At an early date this service was considered one of the lowest tasks of servants (1 Sam 25:41), probably because the youngest and least trained servants were charged with the task, or because of the idea of defilement connected with the foot." After considering the above, it seems there was nothing in and of itself that made the washing of feet a religious action or an act of obedience. Christ, when He washed the disciples feet as recorded in John 13, was keeping with a custom of the time. However, if Christ was just keeping a custom of that day, why did God preserve the occurrence in the Holy Writ?

In order to determine the full context of John 13, one must consider Luke 22:24-30. Luke wrote that there was a dispute among the disciples as to whom should be considered the greatest (vs. 24). Jesus told them that the one who would be greatest, let him be as the younger son, not the preeminent or firstborn son, and as a servant, not as one who governs (vs. 26). Christ then illustrated what he had just taught by asking the disciples who would be the greater, the person sitting at the table or the person serving him (vs. 27a)? Christ then made his point for he said, "Yet I am among you as the One who serves" (vs. 27b). In John 13, Christ first took on the appearance of a servant. He "laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself" (vs. 4). Adam Clarke wrote that Christ had laid aside his gown or upper coat along with the girdle used to tie it close to his under coat or tunic and, in place of it, had girded himself with a towel in order to appear as a servant. Not only did Christ take on the appearance of a servant, he also took on the role of a servant (vs. 5). He washed the feet of the disciples, a role usually delegated to the least of the servants.

Having washed the feet of the bickering disciples, the Lord said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:12-17). Notice, Christ said to the disciples that they recognized that He was greater than they, yet He served them, and if the master serves, should not his servants also serve? Christ was not specifically commanding the disciples to wash feet, though there may come a time when one may wash the feet of a fellow disciple or change their dirty linen or even help clothe a feeble person. The principle that Christ is putting forth is one of service and humility. The greatest in the kingdom is the person who will humble himself and become a servant.

True Christianity is a religion based upon service, both service to God (Rom. 12:1) and to our fellow man (Gal. 5:13; 6:10). Christ testified that he came not to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28). In John 13, Christ is not commanding that we as Christians keep a custom of that time as a part of our religious service, but is commanding that we as Christians be willing servants as He was a willing servant.