NL 428: Jesus Washes Feet
image: "Washing the Disciples Feet", a mural painted by David Paynter in 1965, located above the lectern at Trinity College Chapel, Kandy (wikimedia)
John 13:1-7
March 13, 2022
John 13:1-17
Initial Thoughts
Maundy Thursday!
John’s timeline is much more muddied.
Explicitly NOT the Passover supper “Now before the festival of the Passover”
Beginning of a 4 chapter section called “The Farewell Discourse” which the NL will completely skip.
Next week is the trial
Bible Study
Connections to John 12:1-11, when Mary anoints Jesus.
Same verb that is used to describe Mary “wiping” Jesus’ feet is used when Jesus “washes” the feet of the disciples.
Objected to by Judas
Jesus reassures that it is the right thing.
“Mary anoints Jesus’ feet rather than his head. [This] anticipates the footwashing in John 13:1-20. There are two dimensions of the foot washing: it models service and discipleship, but service and discipleship are possible because to participate in the foot washing is to participate in the expression of Jesus’ love that leads to his death. Mary’s anointing of Jesus anticipates both of these dimensions. It is an act of service, but it also participates in the events of Jesus’ death. Mary does for Jesus now what Jesus will do for his disciples later.” (Gail O’Day, Women’s Bible Commentary, p. 525)
Beginning of the Farewell Discourse (John 13-17) which will lead into the Passion (John 18-19)
This is the only Farewell Discourse passage in Narrative Lectionary
John’s Passion is different from other gospels in some key aspects. This story is one of them
The meal is not Passover.
There is no bread broken and cup shared.
Foot washing
No agony in the garden
No “let this cup pass from me…”
No tears
No sleepy disciples
Trial before Pilate much more extensive
Pilate extremely reluctant to crucify Jesus
Carries cross “all by himself”
Care of his mother
“It is finished.”
Dies on “The Day of Preparation”- which is the day before the great Passover meal. In synoptics the Last Supper is the Passover Meal and he dies the next day.
“The chronology of the Passion - the sequence of events from betrayal to the crucifixion - therefore differs from that of the Synoptics. Given that it’s unlikely that the Jewish authorities would have interrupted their celebration of the Passover in order to try Jesus, John’s chronology is seen by many as more plausible.” (Adele Reinhartz, The Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 205)
Foot washing
Linen towel - some traditions trace the pastoral stole this moment- that the stole is a sign of loving servitude.
“Foot washing is a service customarily rendered by a slave. But the Gospel of John avoids the language of slavery to descirbe discipleship, and Jesus explicitly rejects slavery as a metaphor… Jesus is not an obedient slave; he is an obedient Son. His followers are not his slaves; they are his ‘little children.’” (Allen Dwight Callahan, True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary, p. 202)
“Loving his disciples to the end does not mean only his crucifixion, his death. It means the entirety of his life, the whole witness of the Word made flesh.” Karoline Lewis, Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries: John, p. 179
Peter
Peter misunderstands the sign (not surprisingly as most of the signs are misinterpreted) - he fails to see the connection betweens service and love
Peter’s refusal, but then fast and total reversal seems in line with other stories of Peter’s impetuous nature.
Peter’s overwhelming response is not only similar to Peter’s other stories, but also to literal misunderstandings of the other signs - the Woman at the Well wanting to never go back to the well, Nicodemus trying to figure out how to crawl into his mother’s womb, etc.
Jesus responds to Peter’s refusal, not with offering to wash his feet, but to “wash you”. He goes on to discuss the nature of those who are clean and those who are unclean
This can be troublesome especially with the emotional and spiritual damage inflicted by pseudo-Christian purity culture.
What does it mean to be washed clean? Given this story, perhaps to be washed clean means to be open to receiving the freely given, unconditional love of God enfleshed in Jesus.
When the blind man “washed” (John 9:7, 11, 15) in the pool at Siloam, he was able to “see”/recognize who Jesus is.
Even though Judas’ feet may have been washed, he clearly (as evidenced by his betrayal) is unwilling to enter into a relationship of love with Jesus. Instead of choosing the way of life and love, he chooses death - for both Jesus and, ironically, for himself.
“The washing makes possible having a share with Jesus, being in relationship with him, in his community, in the fold, as opposed to being cast out, like the blind man or going out, like Judas.” Lewis, p.180
Judas
Judas responds to the invitation of deep intimacy with leaving in the night after he ate a piece of bread.
Recall Ash Wednesday reading - The difference between the good shepherd and the thief. Here, Judas literally steals bread in the night - or at least accepts it under false pretense.
His sin is rejecting this incredible act of friendship and relationship.
“The phrase ‘Satan entered into him’ in 13:27 reflects idiomatic Semitic speech. That Satan ‘entered into’ Judas does not mean that Judas was possessed; the Gospel of John, which has neither exorcisms nor demonology, does not appeal to the ideation of spirit possession to understand Satan’s work in the world. The verb ‘enter into’ also means ‘share in,’ ‘have a part in’; the Adversary had a share in what Judas would do henceforth… One in whom Satan is at work takes the bread shared in intimate fellowship, then deserts the community, and walks in darkness.” (Callahan, p. 202-3)
Might be tempted to make a call abc to the Temptation of Jesus cf. Luke 4:13, “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.”) - but that is not in this Gospel. In John we have allusions to the temptations, (Stones into Bread: John 6:26, 31 to make bread in the wilderness; Jump from the temple: John 2:18 to perform a Messianic sign in the temple; Kingdoms of the World: John 6:15 to take the kingdom by force) but not the traditional 40 days in the wilderness temptation story.
Closing words
Jesus’ command is faith in action. Acknowledgment that Jesus is teacher and Lord, but also to do as Jesus did. If Jesus is willing to serve us (and we are not as great as Jesus, much less God), then how much more willing should we be to serve one another.
V. 17 - “you will be happy if you do them” calls back to John 10:10 - Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. An abundant joyful life is what Jesus hopes for us.
Thoughts and Questions
Jesus washed Judas’s feet and shared bread with him. Jesus knew that he was the betrayer, but still submitted himself to this act of service. Judas rejected the relationship, not the other way around. What does it mean for our relationship with God - and with others - to know that Jesus washed Judas? If Jesus could kneel at the feet of his betrayer, who could we kneel before to serve?
If we follow Jesus’ example/model/pattern of being, then we too are called to serve and share with those whom we might consider our enemies - we cannot control their actions only our own. Jesus asks us to model our lives, our actions after his.
13:15 - “‘Example’ can be translated as ‘model’ or ‘pattern’. To what extent might Jesus be referencing the entirety of his ministry here? That is, Jesus the Word made flesh, has established a pattern of being, God fully present, witnessing to God’s presence in the world, that the disciples [and we] will now need to take on?” Lewis, p.181
Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM
Closing Song by Bryan Odeen