…He (Jesus) poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet… (from John 13:5).

Let’s think about feet for a minute. Basically, feet enable us to stand and walk. Sometimes they hurt—or are stinky—and need attending to.

This week we are visiting Jesus and the Twelve as they meet for the Passover meal that begins Holy Week. John, the author, sees to it we learn that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet that night.

Those 24 feet undoubtably needed washing. Yet we know Jesus well enough by now to suspect there are layers of meaning undergirding His action. He clues Peter in on this when He tells him, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (v.7). And then, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me” (v.8b).

Ok, what does having feet washed have to do with having a part with Jesus? And what is going to happen later that will enable Peter—and the others—to understand this?

Let’s go back to what feet do. They stand and walk—action words. They may stand stubbornly still. They may walk defiantly forward. They may stand in the way of sinners (from Ps.1:1). They may walk in the counsel of the wicked (from Ps.1:1).

These actions can lead to hurt, and stink, and require attending to.

Jesus is showing the Twelve that even though they are with Him, there are times they will act (stand and walk) apart from Him in hurtful, stinking—aka sinful—ways.

Jesus’ way of attending to these foot troubles is to kneel before His friends and become a servant who washes away the hurt and stink.

Does Jesus mean for the disciples—for us—to regularly practice foot-washing? Perhaps it is a helpful reminder. Yet the deeper action He is promoting is to become a servant to the one with hurting stinky feet who will require forgiveness.

Remember the old hymn, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”? This pouring out of forgiveness is what Peter and the others would come to understand later (v.7). And this is what we need to come to understand now.

Those we are called to serve will likely have hurting, stinky feet. They will annoy us, offend us, insist on doing things their way. We will need to kneel before them and wash them with forgiveness. 

To genuinely wash others with forgiveness, we will first need to let Jesus wash our own annoyed, offended, insisting-on-our-own-way feet with His forgiveness. Receiving the forgiveness we need prepares us to shift into the high calling of extending forgiveness to others.