One of the passages that our culture cannot fully understand is the account of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. The account is found in John 13. The disciples had arrived in a house to celebrate the Passover dinner.
The custom of the day was that a slave would wash the feet of any guests that had come to the house so that the dirt and dust from the streets wouldn’t get tracked around the house. Now, it was any slave that got this job, it was the slave lowest on the totem pole that got the foot washing duties.
The disciples had rented a room for this dinner and apparently there were no slaves to take care of the washing of feet. I’m sure Jesus watched the disciples as they came into the room. He probably saw them looking around and wondering who was going to wash everyone’s feet.
I don’t think that we can fully grasp the shock that the disciples would have experienced when Jesus picked up the towel and basin. We don’t fully appreciate what Jesus did, only because we don’t fully get how despised and demeaning a job, foot washing was.
I’ve often wondered what in our culture would compare to help us emotionally react the way the disciples would have. You see, now foot washing has become symbolic – elevated even – as the act of service. The only act that I’ve come up with: to go into someone’s house and clean their washroom – their entire washroom! Floor to ceiling!
John, I remember the first time visiting a family’s home in Kenya… they brought a basin, a pitcher of water, and some soap and held them while we washed our hands. I was very humbled by this act. I can only imagine what I would have felt if my feet were to have been washed. Thanks for sharing!