Updated: Foot Washing. No Job to Small for Our God.

This post is actually an update of a post from earlier today.  I was fortunate enough to attend the Holy Thursday Mass. Our assistant pastor gave a great homily that provided an additional insight.  I got another insight the repose of the blessed sacrament, I was reading William Barclay's commentary concerning the footwashing.  The additional info is in italics.

The Holy Land is a dusty place.  Imagine how dirty your feet would be if you walked around in sandals, all the time. When going into someone's home, a slave or a servant of the owner would wash your feet. If there wasn't a servant, the homeowner would wash your feet. In the case of Jesus and the disciples, if there wasn't a servant or homeowner about, the disciples probably took turns. It would be unprecedented if a rabbi washed the feet of his disciples and a major breach of etiquette if a guest were to wash the feet of others.

William Barclay, in his commentary on the Gospel of John, points to Luke 22:24 as another potential reason for performing the foot washing.  In this passage, a dispute arose amongst the disciples about who would be the greatest. Perhaps they no one was willing to do the washing before entering into the building for the Passover meal?  Jesus takes things into his own hands and does what none of them are willing to do.

Another interesting thing about the footwashing that our assistant pastor brought up concerns what Jesus and his disciples are celebrating?  The Passover.  What is the Passover all about?  Celebrating their physical delivery from slavery under the Egyptians.  What did Jesus do, he delivered us from the slavery of our sin, our sickness, our blindness.  The Lord who has set us free from slavery has become the slave to his disciples.

What an example the Lord has set for us.

So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."

John 13:12-17

God humbled himself by coming as a human to share in our experience. He could have come as an earthly king. Instead he came as a servant to set an example for us all. What does that say about his Love for us? What an awesome God.

Blessings to you

Tim