Who is Washing Whose Feet? Meditation for Maundy Thursday April 18, 2019 John 13:1-17 Trillium United Church Caledon
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.
That brings me to the problem of this week and especially this day. My pride can really get off on the teaching that clergy act "in persona Christi," - in the person of Christ. Really - at the table, it is not so much me or Elizabeth ‘conferring the sacrament’, but the Spirit, acting in the person of each of us, who offers these gifts. I remember preaching in seminary, to the weekly chapel gathering which was entirely students and professors – worried about how poor the sermon was – and being told in no uncertain terms by one of my professors that it is not me preaching, but the Spirit preaching through me. It’s true, isn’t it? We are not the source, but the vessel.
And then there comes this day, a day that brings us back down to earth and to a clearer perspective of what it means to be not only a minister, priest - but also a follower of Jesus and a human being. Even more - this day is observed as the day on which Jesus celebrated a last meal with his friends, and gave them a lesson on servanthood and friendship – an action – a teaching of what it meant to be a follower of his way. He washed the feet of his disciples.
In most Middle Easter cultures, washing the feet of guests in a household was the duty of the lowest servant or slave in that household. For the host it was an act of courtesy and welcoming – of offering hospitality. However, for the servant, it was an affirmation of their being of the lowest rank of all. Jesus, the guide, the teacher, moved from a position of host for a meal, to the position of the lowest slave, in order to show everyone how it must be for those who claim to follow.
To be a follower of Jesus is to be a servant. I fear, however that that is not how we always view it. Sometimes we who are ordained can come to view ourselves as a little above others. And it’s power, and how power can sway thinking. As well, there are those among the laity who put us on a pedestal, only feeding our own temptations to pride and ego. Jesus’ action also served to reinforce that he would not be put on a pedestal.
Look at how Peter reacted – one of Jesus closest disciples, a friend - who has seen Jesus in pretty well every possible situation – depressed, elated, considerate, snarly, downright angry – Peter still lets his pride get in the way, placing Jesus on a pedestal and refusing to have Jesus wash his feet.
Peter’s pride gets in his way of understanding. He’s embarrassed to put himself in a position where Jesus can truly minister to him. He doesn’t want Jesus to be in that position but even more so, he doesn’t want to be in that position either. Peter is full of pride, and also full of fear.
This text is not about watching
Jesus put his hands on somebody else's feet. It's about letting Jesus put his
hands on our feet. Not all of us want that. One reason maybe is that we're
embarrassed about our feet. It's not as if we as the church of Jesus Christ are
a foot model convention. As we get older, we look down at our feet and think,
"Whose veiny, bulbous, knobby feet are those? And how did they get on the
end of my ankles?"
And to allow Jesus to touch our feet
is to allow him to touch us in our deepest of hearts. We all have a mind; we
all have emotions; and we all have a will—our decision making power. Our spiritual
feet are how we put our decisions in motion and get places, do things.
Figuratively speaking, we need our feet. Our spiritual feet. To allow Jesus to
cleanse our feet is to remove all that prevents us from following. To scrub
away our insecurities, to wash away our weariness, to buff off our bitterness.
In the Exodus story, which is the
back story for this Maundy Thursday meal, God says:
"This is how you shall eat the
Passover lamb: with your loins girded, your staff in your hand, and your
sandals on your feet" (Ex. 12:11). In others words, be ready to move out
to follow Moses out of this place of bondage and into the Promised Land. Be ready
to move!
"The gate is narrow and the
road is hard that leads to life" (Mt. 7:13). You're going to need to use
your feet, to do some serious spiritual hiking.
Peter didn’t want Jesus’ hands on
his feet because he was afraid of Jesus knowing him too well – seeing part of
him even he didn’t want to face.
We wash each other's feet as a sign of our willingness to simply *be* for each other. It is a sign from that enables us to dismantle our pride. It is a sign that shows clearly what it is to be a people of the Eucharist, to be a people of humble and willing service.
And yet - there are so many ways in which you, the members of these two parishes offer service to one another and to the community. Many times you have placed the good of others or their needs before your own. Human beings are capable of infinite goodness and generosity. Washing the feet of another person, especially those whose feet it may be difficult for us to wash, puts us into contact with the essential goodness and generosity that lies in our own hearts and in the hearts of every human being. It shows us how we can change the world in unity so that it may be a place in which all human beings are revered and honored.
Last year, Pope Francis washed the feet of prisoners, and refugees – on Maundy Thursday. It was a genuine demonstration that serving others is the centre of faith, the centre of humanity. It is the message of Jesus – love one another as I have loved you. Do what I have done out of genuine love for each other. May it be so.
Sources:
1. Washing
One Another's Feet a homily based on John 13:1-17 by Rev. Hose
2. Clean
Feet by Alyce McKenzie
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