Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1975

How To Was

h My Brother's Feet
Jack Ritsema

John 13 : 14

"IF I THEN, YOUR LORD AND TEACHER, HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET, YOU ALSO OUGHT TO WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET."

When the worship leader at the R.C.A. Camp Manitoqua finished the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, he paused, surveying the small crowd. Then he said, "As Jesus commanded, let us do it". That prickling tension went through us as we waited to wash one another's feet. Awkward moments, yet one of the greatest worship services in memory. Why? Because in re-enacting this part of the Lord's Supper scene we felt the immense meaning behind this simple act of Jesus. Yet we could not put it into words.

But what did Jesus mean by this great sign? That we must always wash one another's feet? No, for the spiritual meaning reaches much farther. Many said the meaning is that we should humbly serve one another. It is greater than this. Jesus was talking about cleansing, washing away dirt, washing away iniquity, cleansing us from sin. John 15.- 3 "You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you." Jesus washed the disciples' feet as a sign that He forgives and cleanses us from our day to day sins. Peter didn't want Jesus to wash his feet. Jesus said, "if I do not wash you, you have no part in me". If we do not let Jesus cleanse us daily, we actually reject Him from our lives. Then Peter wanted a bath. Jesus said, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean." Why were Peter and the disciples already clean? Because they were bathed in Jesus' words. Their hearts were clean. So Jesus saw that they did not need to wash all over, except for their feet. Why just the feet? The feet represent the part of us that comes into contact with the world day by day. Every day we are exposed to evil, and we sin. Our spiritual feet need washing, daily. This is why confession of sin is a regular part of daily devotions. And Jesus does wash our feet; He does forgive us.

But He also commands that we do likewise, that we wash one another's feet. What does this mean in the light of the above? It means we are to daily forgive one another. James (5 : 16) says, "Therefore confess your sins to one another". And Jesus earlier pointed out to His disciples when He taught them the Lord's Prayer, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matt. 6 : 14, 15). Forgiving the sins of others is washing their feet. Jesus has washed our whole bodies and He washes our feet every day. We who serve Him must do the same for one another. This is not so difficult when we see the dirt He washes from us.

We didn't understand all this at Camp Manitoqua that day, but we could feel it. And Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you." . . . "if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

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