Read John 13:1-20
Commentary | Dr. Karoline M. Lewis
On Jesus’ last night with his disciples, the foot washing takes center stage. While the disciples and Jesus share a meal, in John's Gospel it is not the Passover meal and there is no institution of the Lord’s Supper. John shifts the chronology of Jesus’ death so that Jesus is crucified on the Day of Preparation for Passover at the same time the Passover lambs would have been slaughtered, to which John the Baptist has already testified, “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) In the foot washing, Jesus shows his disciples once again his abundant love for them. Peter’s question is more than apt: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” After all, Jesus has just had his feet anointed with abundant perfume by Mary. We should be washing Jesus’ feet! And yet, could it be that because Jesus has been extravagantly loved by Mary that he can now wash the feet of Peter, the one who will deny him, and Judas, the one who will betray him? It is from being loved himself that Jesus says to his disciples, “you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).
While the foot washing is an act of serving one another, it is also an expression of love that sustains and encourages the disciples when Judas abandons both them and Jesus (John 13:30), when Peter’s denial is foretold (13:36-38), and when hearing Jesus’ words of farewell in the following four chapters (John 14-17). No wonder the disciples’ hearts will be troubled (John 14:1), but in the foot washing, love and mercy have been poured out. They will need to hold on to this abundant love fiercely when they watch Jesus be arrested, tried, and crucified. Thinking about all of this, Peter’s question sounds more like a plea: “Lord, please wash my feet.” Because how can Jesus wash the feet of those who would betray him and those who would deny him? And how can we love one another as Jesus loves (John 13:31-35)? By having already been so lavishly and mercifully loved.
Reflect: When have you been lavishly and mercifully loved? How did that expression of love sustain you?
reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art
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