Docendo disco. By teaching, I learn. I enjoy teaching for its own sake, because I believe it’s what I’m made to do, but one of the surest ways for me to learn something and retain it is to teach on that subject matter. If I intend on learning God’s Word, to become a better Christian, to grow into a man of God, and eventually a godly husband and father, I need to learn. Here are some notes I made on what I read yesterday from first part of the thirteenth chapter of John’s Gospel. I hope it helps you, too. If you have any questions or comments, please post them! I’ll do my best to respond promptly to any entrants to a dialectic (viz. sense 2.a.) on any spiritual matter; perhaps we’ll both come out sharper thinkers and having learned more for it!
CHAPTER 13
Jesus’ Washing of the Disciples’ Feet
[I include here the King James Version of the text; but I personally referred to a text of the New International Version Study Bible for my notes. I echo the text of the KJV here because it is the only translation in the Public Domain–i.e., other translations require that after 100+ verses have been used you request permission from the publisher. Thankfully, another resource has the full texts of the NIV and the NKJV, among others, online. A link is provided to this text here for easier reference (BibleGateway.com).]
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.
Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
1 John emphasizes Jesus’ love for his own here. He knew that he was going to be killed shortly, and wanted to tell and show his disciples what would be necessary for their comfort and for their faith (this latter, foremost).
2 The “evening meal” here may or may not have been the Passover Feast (since John had just said that it was “just before the Passover.”
By the prompting of Satan, Judas Iscariot had taken his leave of the fellowship. This can teach us something about the way we interact with God and with His people. If I am not in a fellowship of believers, whether it’s large or small, I’m not benefiting from the full extent of God’s blessings that He wishes to bestow upon me. These aren’t monetary blessings, necessarily, nor any kind of material comfort: but they are the blessings that we come to have when we are participating in fellowship with other believers. We were made in God’s image in such a way that engaging in stimulating, theocentric conversations and eating together–taking in physiological nourishment, which is a shadow and a type of the nourishment that Jesus feeds our spirits when we are with Him and with other believers (”When two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst”)–give us a way to commune with others and with God that is unlike other kinds of meetings. Judas was led away from this sort of communion: there were the brethren, gathered together with Jesus, and he left so as to betray Jesus. Now, not to say that when I am away from the fellowship of a church or a meeting somewhere that I’m betraying Jesus, but at its simplest level, eleven guys were where they needed to be, where they needed to stay, but one wasn’t. So if I’m consistently leaving the fellowship of my brethren, or never attending any congregations thereof, what am I doing? I’m cutting myself off of fellowship, not exercising this opportunity to get to know my fellow Christians, and not enjoying this opportunity to come together in Jesus’ name, in His love, and worship God.
3 Jesus was fully aware at all times that the Father had put all things under His control; no matter what happened, He didn’t need to worry about what was going to happen. He knew that he was temporarily on this earth, in service to the One from Whom he came, in heaven; and he knew that he would shortly be returning thereunto. Knowing this gave him the confidence and power even in the face of betrayal by a “friend” to do what he needed to do for the Father, and to serve the men put under his loving care.
4 Therefore, he arose from the table where he had been eating with the disciples, took off his outer clothing, and “wrapped a towel around his waist.” How do we get from the above verse (3) to this “therefore”? Well, if you or I knew we were going to be betrayed unto a physically painful death to face something in your spirit infinitely more painful, would we not run like the wind? Would we not seek to flee, at the very least, to the hinterlands and hide among the rocks? Of course we would, and we would desperately beseech our friends to protect us on our behalfs. Now think if you had all the power of God. You could scorch all your betrayers out of physical existence in an instant. What would keep you from doing so? Jesus was faced with this very situation. What kept him from running, and killing his betrayers? Well, first off, he knew that even when the situation doesn’t apparently look to be in his favor from within time, it would ultimately be to the benefit of all the world, and for eternity, that he went through with this. Secondly, he could have killed Judas; but that wouldn’t have been what the Father had sent him to do. When you or I come to a point in our lives when we’re ready to run, ready to even exercise the power that we may have been given, if it’s not God’s will for us to do so, it will be much better if we do not. Let’s take an example. Say you’re in the process of having a “falling out” with your best friend, or your girlfriend (or boyfriend, depending, of course) has just left you, or your child has done something terrible, or your parents have damaged the trust you had for them. Now, perhaps you have been given enormous insight into the feelings of others generally, and you can understand various emotions; but more importantly, you know these people in such an intimate way that you have the power to crush them from within. You could scorch them in a very hurtful way, because you know their weak spots, where the tender everyday armor gives way and has its joints. Will you slide the hot blade of rage up underneath the tender parts and wound them? Or will you be gentle, kind, even when the situation gets tough? It is a sign of Godly maturity when we are able to hold our tongues, not because we’re afraid of the other person, but because even when they are at their weakest we still know and love the fact that they are God’s handiwork just as we are. Therefore, when we withhold our “wrath” from the ones who have wronged us, we respect God’s image in them.
Not only did Jesus withhold judgment or wrath from the one who left, but he made himself even more vulnerable by taking off his outer garments! And so this is how we are supposed to be, in Christ: when others are persecuting, slandering, making fun, or yes, even betraying us, we are to make ourselves vulnerable to the ones that will allow us to show love to them. If I have a group of friends, and Allen stabs me in the back, but Bob, Chris, Dale, Ed, Fred, Greg, Hamal, Ian, Jack, and Kyle are still with me, I need to have the strength of character–from drawing on Jesus’ power through prayer–to open up to them, take off my armor, my outer garments, and be willing to expose myself to them emotionally and psychologically, for their benefit. This is exactly what Jesus did: it was for obedience to the Father that he didn’t run, and it was Love that defied logic and by which he exposed himself to them.
5 Jesus “poured water into a basin,” and washed his friends’ feet. Then he dried them with the towel around his waist. Now, a person’s feet back in those days were not likely to be very well taken care of, what with all the dust and the construction of the sandals. Before a major feast, people would bathe, but as soon as you stepped out on the road, your feet got dirty again. The disciples feet were unquestionably dirty; this wasn’t like someone who uses Odor Eaters takes his shoes and socks off and ah! behold the scent of freshness! No, this was a dirty business. What does almighty God have to do with washing feet? To teach us. Doing this during the meal emphasized the point that we are all to be servants in the way that Christ made himself, and to show his disciples that he loved them enough to touch their dirtiest parts and make them clean. The water in the basin is like the Spirit, who cleanses us when we come to Christ. He took the disciples’ feet, and washed them because it would be his willingness to be a servant under the Father that would keep him on that cross till the sins of the world were laid upon him and he died. The fact that the feet are the dirtiest part (at least in that day) is not the only reason. The feet take us where we are going; never mind cars and bikes and trains and planes–where you go, your feet take you there. Your feet are exposed to every place you are; and without your feet (again, in a natural state, prosthetics and wheelchairs aside), you wouldn’t be able to do much of anything. In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus was making “clean” their actions, what they would do in service to him. Here is a new beginning: take these clean feet and let them take you into service for me. Much as he said to the prostitute: “Neither do I condemn thee; now go, and leave your life of sin.” Her heart was washed, so that she could do service to Him, be a witness to His love and mercy.
6 Here we get to know some more of Simon (”who was called”) Peter’s impetuosity, his fiery mix of humility and pride, of ignorance and arrogance. When Jesus got to Peter, the latter asked curiously whether he would was his feet. This whole exchange speaks to how God treats our ignorance, our questions, and even our arrogance.
7 Jesus always responds to our temporal questions and longings with eternal focus. How many times we are blessed, or we think we are cursed, and we cry out to God, asking “What are you doing?” He answers, “You don’t understand right now, but just wait: you will.” This is to teach us patience with one another and with Him, and perhaps even more so, to give us a heavenly, eternal focus instead of being so riveted on the here-and-now.
8 Check out Peter’s response. On the one hand, he’s being very humble, as you or I might with a servant upon occasion. For instance, “No, don’t get me a drink, I’ll get it myself; in fact, do you want anything?” It’s a very kind gesture, especially if the server/host is overwhelmed with requests. But look at what this kind of response does. It explicitly states self-sufficiency; it brings both parties on a level (socially) with one another; and it makes us look very humble. But Peter was speaking with Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe! For Peter to express any kind of self-sufficiency in what this act of Jesus symbolized (again, his servanthood in going to the cross) would be a damnable insult to His work; for Peter to attempt to bring Jesus up from level of servant to his level would, perhaps paradoxically, be a kind of subjugation of Christ; and if Jesus was trying to teach something through His humility, Peter would have been trying to thwart the teaching. (Much like Moses did when he struck the rock for water that second time instead of just speaking to it.) But see how patient Christ is with Peter! Peter’s sitting there barking orders, trying to be humble and not doing a good job of it, but the Almighty simply responds in eternity: If I don’t do this, you won’t be a part of me. Jesus wasn’t talking about washing his feet; he was talking about what that symbolized!
9 Of course, Peter pipes up again, swinging the other way, this time instead of with apparent humility, with apparent enthusiasm. Indeed, would not this be an ideal response, in a sense? But look: how arrogant is it to think that Jesus might do this for him when Jesus made no move to do the same for the other disciples. Also, hereagain, he’s barking orders at Jesus, as though what He wants to do isn’t perfect. Aren’t we also guilty of doing the very same? We try to tell God what to do, and then complain when it isn’t the way we want it–whether it be a situation, a circumstance, something within us, whatever it is. When Christ comes into our lives, and he does something that we think might not be enough, let us pause to think again: this is Christ, whose timetable is not ours, and whose ways are above and more perfect than ours. Perhaps what we should pray in that case is, “Lord, give me the strength to let go.”
10 Jesus responds, again, in temperance and patience. He doesn’t waste words, but he’s not curt, either. Take a moment to reflect upon what Jesus said here: when we’ve been washed once, we don’t need to be washed over and over, but we do need to clean up the parts of us that have been hitting the path: while when we are baptized into the family of God by the Holy Spirit, we are cleansed once for all unto salvation, we need to continually be in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17), and through that prayer allow Jesus to wash our spiritual feet–to wash and make clean before him all those things that we set forth to do, that they may glorify God.
He made it clear that he knew that not everyone was clean there, speaking on His own knowledge that Judas would betray Him. “… of you.” Judas had already left, but even so, he was one of the inner circle: no matter where we go, Jesus knows where we are, and to whom we belong, what company we keep, whom we seek to impress, who impresses us, and what we’re doing. For some this will be intimidating truth, even for the believer who is knowingly rebelling; but for the believer seeking Him, this is comfort indeed. As David says in the Psalms, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Ps 139:8).
11 John lets us know hereagain that Jesus was fully aware and in control of the situation. One of the interesting characteristics about John’s Gospel is that it is very explanatory, so that regardless of who is reading it, you get insight into what things mean. He likes to be up-front about things, like any good teacher who wants you to get the foundations of a concept. The Gospels are the foundations of understanding God and the whole point of the Bible, of history, and of each individual’s life; and John’s is a great conversational text.
12 When Jesus was finished with their feet, he donned his robes again and took his seat. Thus, from the role of servant he became Teacher–Rabbi–again. Even so are we to be: when the job as servant is done, we are to move into a position more befitting the needs of the moment. In the power of Christ, we can don many hats in His service. He asks his disciples whether they realize what it was he just did; whether or not the answer is affirmative, he knows that in time they will (c.f. 13:7 above). Jesus, the Great Teacher, always gets us to use our minds–there is a reason (so to speak) that we were given logical, sentient minds. If we are not engaged in thought about the things of heaven, we will be preoccupied with the things of Earth; and if we do not continually renew our dwelling on Him and His glory, the world will seem to become too much for us, and we will desire only escape or self-destruction.
13 Jesus tells His disciples that it is right for them to call Him “Teacher” and “Lord,” Educator and Master; indeed, He has touched on both concepts–submission to lordship and the importance of learning–in washing His disciples feet, and so now He commands them (and us) to follow His example.
14 We should be willing–because we are able, in Christ–to perform even what we consider to be the most menial tasks for each other, as Christians. A boss asks of you to clean toilets but that’s not in your job description? Do it as a service to Christ and in His Spirit, that it may be a witness to His glory. Your significant other asks you to do something with her/him that’s precisely what you don’t want to do, but it doesn’t violate your conscience? Let them know that you love them and do it as a service to Christ and in His Spirit (because we all, too, want to do things that, for our beloveds, would truly take an act of God for them to enjoy!). “He who is last shall be first; and who is first shall be last.” Let God be the one to exalt you as He sees fit; let us humble ourselves so that He might lift us up, lest we be full of arrogance and false pride that keeps us from realizing we need Him.
15 Jesus is plain when it is to the benefit of His hearers. Here He reiterates: look, I did this so you’ll follow my example. Serve one another.
16 How does this fit in with the surrounding text? What can we learn from what Jesus is telling the disciples here? Remember that Jesus never wastes words. Everything He says, unlike many leaders and teachers of today, is relevant and sharply pointed so as to facilitate surgery on our hearts. Jesus, the willing servant and messenger of the Father, is not greater than Him; and we, called and sent by the Spirit of Christ to be servants of each other and foremost of Him, are not greater than He. Perhaps this is a reminder to all of us who, like Peter, want to tell God what to do, whether enthusiastically or humbly or not at all. God works as He will through us, and will bless us if we let Him control our lives so as to keep us from rebellion.
17 Perhaps one of the most significant sayings of Jesus in this passage, especially in this day and age of modular conceptualization that so characterizes the Internet Age. We see an article, a piece of text on the Web, and think “Oh, that’s interesting.” Ctrl+D and forget about it. (I have a personal catalogue of several hundred bookmarks, the vast majority of which I haven’t looked at since I filed them!) Or we see a piece on TV, fictional or non; or we hear a story on the radio about some need or desperation in the world at large, and cut off the media stream and eat dinner. We make the grave error, too, when it comes to spiritual matters, of thinking that if we know something, that’s all we need: the more facts gathered, the better we are. Socrates believed that if we knew the right thing, we would automatically do it. This is a profoundly Western–and unChristian–viewpoint, though it seems innocuous enough: surely knowing the Word is enough? No, it is exercising our faith, utilizing what we know, that is the means by which we are blessed. If I take what I have learned in just this passage, and don’t apply it to my life, I have not been blessed nor a blessing to others, nor even to God: I have merely activated my memory stores, stimulated my mind for a few moments, and filed it under that mental subcategory “Pith & Wit” that serves for amusement, like varied and sundry sayings of Oscar Wilde or Mark Twain, without letting it sink in. If we are faithful to let His Word and His actions guide us, be an example to us, we will be blessed. But there is no blessing promised to those who just mentally bookmark the passage.
Lord, help us to be servants to one another as you have been to us in submitting to death only to overcome it; let us serve you as you have shown us how to serve.
