Washing Feet (John 13:11-20)
Jesus had explained what the significance was for the disciples of him washing their feet. It pictured the ongoing cleansing of sin that believers experience after their conversion. The conversion was likened by Jesus to a bath – an overall cleansing when all our sins are forgiven in the sense of being justified. The washing of feet by Jesus pictures the ongoing cleansing that is part of sanctification.
Jesus does not suggest that believers, in the language of the illustration, should give one another a bath. We should not be surprised at that because we don’t play any part in the justification of a believer. But he does say that we should follow his example and wash feet, which could suggest that we contribute something to what we could call mutual sanctification.
Should we be surprised at that suggestion? Consider that the Holy Spirit indwells believers and he wants them to demonstrate holy living from the heart. Does our behaviour therefore affect in some ways the sanctification of other believers? I would suggest that it does.
Jesus also says here that washing feet is the path to experiencing spiritual blessing. He does say that it is not enough to know what to do. The requirement is that we do what we know. He also says that washing feet is the evidence of genuine discipleship, the proof that we submit to his Lordship.
The Saviour also says that only genuine disciples can have this kind of involvement. In the upper room with the disciples and Jesus was a man who had no interest in submission to Jesus or in the sanctification of the disciples. The man was Judas, and we know that he was only in their company to steal for his own benefit. We are told elsewhere that he helped himself from the common purse and we also know that he at this time was about to engage in a plot to betray Jesus.
The attitudes required for washing feet
One obvious attitude is humility. It is not possible to wash feet from a superior position unless you turn the other person upside down. That may sound humorous, but it is also true. If we follow the influence of a proud person, we will end up with all kinds of wrong ideas. Humility is evidence of the work of the Spirit.
A second attitude for effective washing of feet is gentleness. Normally, at that time, a person would have been walking along hard roads while wearing sandals. It was inevitable that the individual would have bruises, sores and aches. The person washing the feet must bear those details in mind. If the foot-washer was rough, it would not be of any benefit.
A third attitude for effective footwashing is impartiality. In that group of disciples, there was a group of three who were given special blessings by Jesus. They were Peter, James and John, and we recall that they had witnessed the raising of Jairus’ daughter, they had looked at the transfigured Saviour, and later that evening they were given the privilege of being physically close to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. But Jesus did not limit the footwashing to them. He also washed the feet of Philip who seems to have been a bit slow on the uptake; he also washing the feet of Thomas who would later speak callously about Jesus on his resurrection day and desire to use his hand to thrust it into the side of Jesus rather than engage in some footwashing. Jesus washed the feet of all of them. It is impossible to be a foot-washer if we show favouritism.
Actions of footwashing
No doubt, there are many ways of listing activities suitable for spiritual footwashing. One of them is to use some words from the instruction of Jesus and consider some of the occasions where the words ‘one another’ occur in the epistles.
A frequent way that they are used is when believers are defined as loving one another. An example is in 1 John 3:23: And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.’ This is the core definition of what it means to be a Christian. It means to have warm affection and to engage in hearty actions for all Christians we know. Such a response has one great spiritual benefit – personal fellowship with God. ‘No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us’ (1 John 4:12). It is obvious that if there is such love, there will be spiritual footwashing.
The references to ‘one another’ are sometimes stated in a negative way and sometimes in a positive way. James has a negative comment in his letter, yet it is also an incentive. He says in James 5:19: ‘Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.’ The context of that statement is the second coming of Jesus and the implication is that grumbling about another Christian would not be a good state to be in at the moment Jesus returns. Instead of grumbling, James says that they should ‘confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed’ (5:16). James mentions three actions of the tongue: we should not grumble against Christians; when we sin against another Christian, we should confess it to him or her; we should pray for one another. The order of confessing and praying is important. When we do them, we are engaging in spiritual footwashing.
Paul also mentions a negative ‘one another’: ‘Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother’ (Rom. 14:13). Often, there can be a debate over who is right on an issue. Paul’s requirement is better – even if you are right, don’t put a hindrance or stumbling block in the way of the other believer. It is better to go without your rights than to cause another believer to be adversely affected. Let God sort out the matter.
The author of Hebrews mentions two positive ‘one anothers’ in the same passage: ‘And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near’ (Heb. 10:24-25). We should think beforehand (consider) about how we can help other believers engage in appropriate attitudes (love) and actions (good works), and then when we meet together we should encourage one another to do them.
That author also points out another responsibility: ‘But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin’ (Heb. 3:13). Of course, this verse implies that Christians see each other frequently. Brotherly love wants to prevent a Christian falling into sin, so they give words of encouragement to one another.
We mentioned a negative ‘one another’ by Paul earlier. He has positive ones as well. In Ephesians 4:32, he writes, ‘Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.’ Expressions of kindness and expressions of forgiveness are beautiful aspects of footwashing. The best expression of kindness is forgiveness. This is Christlikeness. A stern Christianity often is without forgiveness. It is impossible to engage in spiritual footwashing with a heart that does not forgive.
Paul also says in Romans 12:10: ‘Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.’ I wonder if there is a connection between those two ‘one anothers’. Maybe it is that we should always recognise who other Christians are. They are our brothers in the same family, but which family? They are in God’s family, and all of them are joint-heirs with Christ, which is a very good motive and reason for showing honour to them. It is a privilege to engage in serving the ones who are going to inherit all things.
We have not mentioned him so far in our list of ‘one anothers’, but we can now look briefly at one that Peter included in his first letter: ‘As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace (1 Pet. 4:10). Everyone has been given a spiritual gift, says Peter, in order to help other Christians. There are only two possible responses – we either use it or we don’t use it. Some gifts are smaller than others, but the One who gave them to his people expects them to use those gifts for the benefit of other Christians. Peter mentions two ways by which this is done – by speaking and by serving. When we do them, we engage in spiritual footwashing, or making it easier for other Christians to walk another day.
As I said earlier, there are many ways by which we can explain spiritual footwashing. But we have seen the importance of love, the benefits of confessing to someone if we have wronged them, the importance of prayer for them, the need to put other Christians first, to think beforehand about how we can encourage one another, to exhort one another to holy living, to engage in kindness and forgiveness, to recognise the eternal dignity of every Christian, and to use our God-given gifts to serve them.