Dirty Feet (John 13.1-17)

One morning, I was late for P.E. I must have been about 13. I ran into the sports building, quickly changed into my kit and crept barefoot into the gym where all my classmates were standing in line. I excused myself for being late and hoped that would be the end of the matter.

But my P.E. Teacher Mr Rollinson, (we used to call him 'Rolo') looked at me eyes wide as saucers, called me out to stand in front of the others and pointed at my feet. I looked down and, to my shock, they were as filthy as I can ever remember them. It looked like they hadn’t been near a bathroom in months.

I don’t know why; perhaps my shoes had holes in – or maybe I really hadn’t washed for months – I was after all a teenage boy. But my feet were inexplicably and undeniably dark brown. “Lambert! You come here into my nice clean gym - late - and your feet are absolutely filthy! When was the last time you washed them?”

In the stress of the moment, my mind went blank. I said, “I don’t know, sir.” “You don’t know when the last time you washed was?!” he said. I felt deeply embarrassed and humiliated as the whole class erupted with laughter, pointing at me and making faces at my lamentable lack of personal hygiene.

Let me read some verses from John 13.

“The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas... Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus... got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

I’ve never been one for foot washing services. You might have been to one before: and if you have, chances are it took place on Maundy Thursday - which is the day before Good Friday, that is to say today.

There won’t be any foot washing services this year though because even though there might be plenty of hot water and soap, (which is to be greatly encouraged) it wouldn’t meet social distancing requirements (which is bad) and in any case every church in the land is locked shut.

There have been down the years some very moving foot washing services. For many years, the Pope has taken a towel and humbly washed the feet of someone in the Vatican - usually some trainee priest who happens to be in Rome in Holy Week.

The cameras are always there... Wow, the top man stooping to perform such a lowly task on a mere novice. But Pope Francis insisted when he became Pope that he would wash the feet of homeless men, street urchins, Muslim refugees and men doing life in prison. He took it to a new level.

When foot washing services are done in the way I just described I can see they could be quite powerful. But I’ve been to a few in my time and... well... there was something a bit lacking.

Everyone would scrub their feet so that they were hygienically immaculate and give their toe nails a good pedicure, before putting on their best socks and nice shoes so that when the vicar washes their feet the water looks practically identical afterwards as it did before. It's all a bit of a charade.

Now, when Jesus washed his disciples' feet before reclining at the last supper, he did not do it to institute a kind of annual liturgical tradition. The main reason Jesus washed his disciples' feet was because, like mine that morning in school, their feet were really dirty.

They had been walking in open toed sandals (no socks - they never wore socks with sandals and nor should you!). The streets were unsurfaced, dusty, grubby and insanitary. Everyone’s feet, as they reclined to eat, would be sweaty, dirty, gritty and smelly. Unwashed feet would seriously put you off your food.

So, Jesus rolls up his sleeves, ties a towel round his waist and begins to wash 24 feet.

The second lowest-ranking servant untied the sandals. The lowest washed the feet. John the Baptist said “l'm not worthy to untie his sandals” but Jesus washed feet.

That's why Peter sees what Jesus does and says, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Oh no, you shall never wash my feet.”

But Jesus answers, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” So he begins massaging each foot with his wet palms. Wiping surface dirt off with a cloth. Washing away all that sweat on the soles. Rubbing away all the grime between the toes. Applying a brush under the toenails. Rinsing grubby ankles with water...

When he finishes each pair of feet the water looks more like this. Jesus isn’t instituting a new liturgy. That’s not what’s important. Jesus' focus is on the attitude that the symbol points to, not the act in itself.

Verse 12. “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his outer cloak again and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asks them... ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’”

In the hours before Jesus died, the Bible tells us about two bowls of water. One was used by Jesus for washing others’ feet on the night he was betrayed. The other was used by Pontius Pilate to wash his hands of Jesus. There are only two bowls; if we do not embrace the way of humble service to others it’s as if we wash our hands of Jesus and his message.

But Jesus ends this section in v17. “Now that you know these things,” says Jesus, “you will be blessed if you… do them.” The word “blessed” (makarios) means “happy” or “contented” or glad.

Jesus means here that looking after the practical needs of those you live with, next door to, in your street and those on the end of the phone - in his name and for his glory - is the pathway to finding true contentment.

Brief talk online, 9 April 2020