Washing Feet

Sermon for 2004 April 8 (Maundy Thursday), St Mary Magdalen, Sheet

Bible reading: John 13:1-7 (31b-35)

The story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet seems like a sort of poor cousin to the more familiar story of the Last Supper. In three gospels we read about that first Eucharist, the breaking of bread and the pouring of wine, and the command of Jesus that we should do the same in remembrance of him. Nothing about the washing of feet in Matthew or Mark or Luke. And here in John’s Gospel – no bread and wine, but this wonderful account of foot washing – with again Jesus saying "You ought to do the same". Now we do remember the bread and wine every week in the communion, so it seems right that today at least, Maundy Thursday, we should think a bit about the washing of feet, as this is what we are going to do.

Let’s look at this story and see what we like about it, shall we? And perhaps what we don’t like? Because there are some aspects to this story which are quite counter-cultural and others which actually surprisingly perhaps sit happily in our culture. Let’s see if we can spot which is which.

First of all there is the fact that to kneel down and wash someone’s feet can be a pretty unpleasant experience. I don’t mean in the sanitized way that we are going to do it, I mean in the hot, dusty, Middle Eastern way. The one doing the washing is a servant, he is doing what a Roman slave would have done. And there is something important here. There is a lot in the Christian message about how wonderful it is to be a servant, and we speak of Jesus as the Servant King, but we mustn’t get the idea that a bit of serving will allow us to turn the tables – that it will somehow make us great, or give us Brownie points. Jesus is quite clear about this – a servant is not greater than his master. A servant remains a servant. There is a sense in which for all the satisfaction of doing good, of living a life of service, it will always be unpleasant too. Does that fit in our culture? Marks out of 10? I think not. We don’t do serving – if we do, it’s at arm’s length – it’s the programmed "Is everything all right?" at just the right point in a meal in a restaurant, it’s the "Thank you for calling blah de blah, Chris speaking, how may I help?" The idea of simply being a servant, a real servant, is pretty much anathema.

Then, with foot washing, there is the two people thing. There are two people involved are there not? It’s very much a two-way process. Someone has to do the washing and someone has to be there with the need and the willingness to have their feet washed. This is not the compulsory token foot bath as you go through to the swimming pool, this is deciding "my feet need washing", this is offering yourself in some way to another person, being vulnerable. There’s a hymn where we sing "Grant that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too". Again, we’re not too good at that, are we? I have my pride, I can manage, thank you very much; no, I don’t want to be in your debt. Rarely spoken in those words, but often thought?

When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet it was also an enigma. There was plenty of space for people not to understand and plenty of possibility for misunderstanding. Centred on Simon Peter – bless him!

"Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

"You do not realise what you are doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then not just my feet but my hands and head as well."

Oh dear, he didn’t quite get it, did he? But can anyone get it? What does it mean, being clean? This is not an easy thing to understand. So, do we like this aspect of the story? Well, in some ways our society insists on explanations, the media wants everything to be clear cut, we want to know who to blame. But there is another strand, where art and science meet, of accepting creative tension, of understanding that we don’t understand, of accepting that we won’t know. Can we live with question marks?

Well, here’s something else: Washing feet is sensual. Having your feet washed is a physical feeling, the cool of the water, the gentleness of a massage, perhaps, the warmth and softness of the towel. Now we do do sensual, we are a touchy-feely society. You can make a fortune in aromatherapy. We spend millions of pounds on lotions and oils and creams and massages and pampering. Well some people do – I just like a nice hot bath myself! But there’s something reminiscent in the story about that other story in the previous chapter about Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and wiping his feet with her hair. It feels good, doesn’t it?

And lastly, it’s a ritual, with a huge amount of symbolism. Even how John tells us about it is full of significance. It comes at the beginning of the second half of his gospel. "Jesus knew that [his] time had come… Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." We have an act which stands for a lot to do with service, and Jesus said that as he had washed their feet, we too should wash one another’s feet. Now not much of the Church has taken this saying as in the same vein as the Eucharist, but some have; the Quakers, for example. Now actually our culture is quite keen on ritual and symbolism – perhaps seeing that this is something missing from everyday life. Think of some films – the Matrix, Star Wars, Harry Potter. Ritual features in all of them. I could see foot washing becoming a crowd puller if it was packaged right!

Well, there were five aspects of the foot washing that we may or may not like and which may or may not sit comfortably with our society’s values and the way we live our lives. But Jesus gave us a clear statement, he even repeats it. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." And what we should take into that foot washing is not just the bits we like or feel comfortable with, but all of it:

It’s all a gift from Jesus that foreshadows what is to come, the pain of betrayal and condemnation, denial and disloyalty from friends, the horrific sights and senses of crucifixion, the signs and wonders, the cry of My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? And the sheer delirious joy of the Resurrection. It’s all here in a simple act. It’s Jesus’ gift and blessing to us on this night of vigil, this Maundy Thursday.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, as you poured out water to wash the feet of your friends
you were pouring yourself out in love and service to the whole world.
As we do your bidding and wash each others’ feet,
may we too dedicate ourselves to your service
and be ready to run to tell the world that on Good Friday you died for everyone. Amen.