Footwashing (John 13: 1-5)

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paradox3

paradox3

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Hello everyone. Here is a short reading for Maundy Thursday from John's Gospel:
 
This is a parallel story to the Last Supper in the synoptic gospels. The evening meal is in progress.

Speaking of Jesus, verse 1 tells us, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end."

Isn't this beautiful?

Jesus proceeds to wash the feet of the disciples. There is no institution of the Eucharist in this version of the story.

Later on in the chapter, bread plays an important role. Jesus dips a piece of bread in a dish and passes it to Judas.
 
3-4 is interesting. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself." (NRSVUE)

So why does knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand that he had come from God lead to washing people's feet?

Is there cultural signficance here that I am missing? (Will probably look into that more tomorrow. Getting late. I've actually been working since about 6.)
 
Mendalla said:
I mean, kneeling before someone like that is really taking the role of a servant, I guess, so is this that "servant leadership" we talk about in management seminars nowadays?
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Yes I think it is a very good example of servant leadership and I have always understood the passage this way.

I am surprised to hear the concept has made its way into management theory. In my management days Participative Management was giving way to Situational Leadership. Knowledge Transfer was a new buzz phrase.

Yes, this was a long time ago. Almost 30 years.
 
Footwashing was indeed part of the culture of hospitality of the time. The roads were hot and dusty so it was common to offer an arriving guest a bowl of water for their feet. A servant might do the actual washing of the feet and dry them off with a towel.

The unusual thing in this text is that Jesus washed the disciples feet when the meal was already underway.
 
Mendalla said:
3-4 is interesting. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself." (NRSVUE)

So why does knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand that he had come from God lead to washing people's feet?
Click to expand...
Good question.

I have been wondering if there might be a connection to the first public miracle John describes in his gospel. There is quite a contrast between turning water into wine and using the water to wash someone's feet.

Beginning and end of Jesus's ministry?

Divinity and humanity?

I dunno. This might be a stretch.
 
paradox3 said:
Good question.

I have been wondering if there might be a connection to the first public miracle John describes in his gospel. There is quite a contrast between turning water into wine and using the water to wash someone's feet.

Beginning and end of Jesus's ministry?

Divinity and humanity?

I dunno. This might be a stretch.
Click to expand...
Most people wore sandels so it was common for Jews to wash feet before meals and before bed. Also to abstain from washing ones feet is a sign of deep mourning.

Also rabbis and Israelis would wash their feet before entering the temple and the priest before giving a burnt offering. Just as no one is allowed to approach a King or prince without due preparation, which includes washing the hands and feet, so the Israelite
and especially the priest, is forbidden to approach Yhwh in this unclean defiled condition.
" Jewish Encyclopedia"
 
Waterfall said:
Most people wore sandels so it was common for Jews to wash feet before meals and before bed. Also to abstain from washing ones feet is a sign of deep mourning.

Also rabbis and Israelis would wash their feet before entering the temple and the priest before giving a burnt offering. Just as no one is allowed to approach a King or prince without due preparation, which includes washing the hands and feet, so the Israelite
and especially the priest, is forbidden to approach Yhwh in this unclean defiled condition.
" Jewish Encyclopedia"
Click to expand...
Oo, now this is interesting. So was he preparing them for what is to come, then? Ritually cleaning them before the sacrifice? Would make sense if one is interpreting this in terms of Jesus as a sacrificial lamb in some form of atonement theology.
 
Mendalla said:
Oo, now this is interesting. So was he preparing them for what is to come, then? Ritually cleaning them before the sacrifice? Would make sense if one is interpreting this in terms of Jesus as a sacrificial lamb in some form of atonement theology.
Click to expand...
Oh yes very interesting @Waterfall

It could be the disciples had left their feet unwashed as a sign of mourning for Jesus. He has been preparing them for what is about to come.

By getting up and washing their feet in the middle of the meal Jesus might have been performing an act of love.

It could also signal that their sorrow will turn into joy with the resurrection.

Fascinating!
 
Mendalla said:
So why does knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand that he had come from God lead to washing people's feet?
Click to expand...

So this is the verse from the AMPC version

3 [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,

I say ------so your question Here is How does this lead to Jesus washing the Disciples feet ?

My view
So Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords ------Jesus climbed Down the Ladder and lowered Himself to become 100% Human and 100% Divine --He gave up His Kingship to live like us on this planet --------and He did nothing and said nothing on His own accord He did and said what His father told Him to do and say ----

So they are at the supper table and Jesus understands He is going back to the Father and to His Kingship ---so His status is going to be elevated ---and with this understanding He wants His Disciples to witness what servant hood really means ----so He Lowers Himself to that position as an example of what is expected of the Disciples when He is Gone ------

The washing of the Feet of His Disciples is Illustrating their Spiritual Cleansing --Jesus is about to meet His Demise and He the only one who can cleanse us and forgive our sins ----it is by the feet that His true Followers walk in this world and as they walk they can have worldly ways attach to them and they will be having to be always washing themselves clean ----so their feet will stay on the right path and remain faithful to God ----

If you read on you see Peter has no understanding of the significance of what Jesus is doing and Jesus replies --

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is interesting to Note --Heard this today from David Jeremiah's Sermon

-Back in John 3 ----Jesus says what is Flesh is Flesh and what is Spirit is Spirit ------

So if you take this Word F--L--E--S--H-----and take off the---- H ----at the end ------and you spell the rest backwards ----you Spell ---SELF ----So the Flesh Means you are in Self -----Without ------H-------who is the H ----Him (Jesus)
 
You lost me at the F-L-E-S-H spelled backwards theory @unsafe.

I hadn't thought of footwashing as spiritual cleansing but you could be right. And yes, Jesus expects the disciples to carry on this practice
 
Expansive leadership which is outcome focused prepares others for ehatvtheyvwill need to be and do for the cause. My favourite leadership books include The Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership, Higher Ground, Seven Habits. Seven Pillars gave clarity to how I aimed to lead. It fleshes out Covey's concept of expanding your circle of influence.

This passage is an example of Servant leadership. He equipped his disciples physically with the ritual cleansing and the modeling of serving along with providing assurances and affirmations. The footwashing would have been a psychological and spiritual cleansing away of believing that following Jesus was about power and privilege.
 
Thanks everyone for your contribution to the discussion.

I attended a Maundy Thursday service last evening and found it disturbing. I am still trying to figure out my reaction to the whole thing. It was solemn which I expected.

The Minister emphasized both servant leadership and the hospitality aspect of washing the guests' feet.

What would the mood have been like at the Last Supper? Would there have been a shift when Jesus got up from the table and washed the disciples' feet?

And how about when Jesus identified the traitor among them? Jesus gave him a piece of bread after dipping it in the dish and Judas went out into the night.
 
Jesus' body language would have made the disciples anxious. Knowing the religious authorities were after Jesus would have made them anxious. Believing he might be about to call down armies of angels to get rid of the Romans would have combined anticipation and anxiety.
 
I don't know how the betrayal fits in with the Seder Haggadah. Unless Judas betrayed himself, or Jesus revealed his betrayal, at that moment in the Seder Haggadah when we all share in the piece of the Affikonen, the hidden piece of matza representing the Messiach.
 
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