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| Beliefs - Bible Studies Would You Wash My Feet? |
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I. “…He poured water into a bason…”(John 13:5a).
John alone records this dramatic event of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.
When one imagines all of the things that Jesus could have done in the final
hours before His crucifixion, this is the least likely. He takes us and His disciples
by surprise with His higher wisdom and purpose.
“…Supper being ended, the Devil having now put into the heart
of Judas Iscariot , Simon’s son to betray Him; Jesus knowing that
the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come
from God and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside
His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He
Poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet,
And to wipe them with the towel where with He was girded”
(John 13:2-5).
Jesus assumed the posture of a servant. The towel, basin, and the task all
spoke of service. His purpose is clear: to teach His disciples servanthood. “Let
this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus: who…took upon Him the
form of a servant”(Phil. 2:5-7). Jesus was the model servant. He Exercised
neither His own will nor sought to be ministered to. “For even The Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for
many”(Mark 10:45).
Jesus sought to elevate the act of service in the minds of those whose feet He
was washing: beyond the mere performing of an expected task or command. In
fact I think He was teaching them to do the unexpected, that which does not
come naturally to man, to think of others more highly than themselves. “…But
whosever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will
be chief among you let him be your servant”(Matt. 20:26-27).
II. “…Lord, dost thou wash my feet”(John 13:6b)?
Peter’s question is posed after Jesus had already washed some of the disciples’
feet. Peter is incredulous that Jesus is actually going to wash his feet. One
normally thinks pride exhibits itself in the person who refuses to wash another’s
feet. The truth is, pride can be found on both sides of the basin. Resolution
was building in Peter that Jesus not wash his feet; prompting Jesus’ response, “If
I wash thee not, thou has no part with me”(John 13:8b).
We can understand Peter’s sentiment, but what about Jesus’ statement? The
point that Jesus was making is that if Peter was to be His servant then and in the
future ,there would be demands made of him. These demands alone would
make him far more uncomfortable than having his Master wash his feet.
Peter’s request for a bath is used by Jesus to teach another lesson. “He that is
washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are
clean…”(John 13:10). The lesson is forgiveness. Just as a traveler who has
bathed before his trip along dusty roads need his feet washed when reaching
his destination, so do those who have been saved. As we journey through this
world, we need cleansing from its’ sinful grime from time to time. As Jesus’
servants we need not only to ask His for- giveness for wrongs done, but also ask
our fellow servants if we have wronged them. Submitting ones self to another to
be forgiven is not an easy task, but a necessary one.
III. “…Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet”(John 13:14b).
For many, Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet was an acted out parable and
nothing more. For others, like myself, Jesus was establishing an ordinance to
be practiced then and now. He wanted them to be reminded again and again
that they, like Himself, were not here to be ministered to, but to be ministers to
others.
There are six(6) points I wish for you to consider about the ordinance of feet
washing:
1. The word “ought” in verse fourteen(14) means to owe a debt or an obligation.
It was an emphatic statement suggesting that Jesus’ intent was that the disciples
literally wash one another’s feet as a reminder to minister to each other and any
one else they had the opportunity to minister to.
2. The argument that there is no Biblical evidence that feet washing was
practiced by the early church is answered by an examination of I Timothy 5:10.
Paul in giving instruction to Timothy concerning widows whom the Church should
support,
included as one of the qualifications, “…if she have washed the Saints’ feet….”
While there are those that would say that Paul was just reiterating the need for
those widows to show hospitality, it would appear to be overly redundant. Why
would she be expected to show hospitality to Saints only? Why single out this
act of hospitality and neglect all others (ref. Luke 7:44-46)? Why would she be
expected to show hospitality to Saints only? The answer is, this is not a mere
reference to customary hospitality, but a reference to the practice established
by Jesus in John, chapter thirteen(13).
3. The highest calling and the greatest privilege of the Christian is to be a
servant of Jesus Christ. By participating in washing the Saints’ feet, we are
reminded not only of the importance of our service, but also how we are to serve
Him. When we minister to others we are serving Christ. “…In as much as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
Me”(Matt. 25:40).
4. The need for daily cleansing from God, to forgive others, and to be forgiven
by others, is taught afresh each time we practice this ordinance. Jesus wants
His Church not only to be holy, but to be an example of loving fellowship, as well.
5. There is a special blessing promised to those who follow Christ’s example.
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you…If
ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”(John 13:15,17).
6. The practice of feet washing has been forsaken by many groups and appears
to be dying among Free Will Baptist. Even though it is part of what we say we
believe, one has only to look at attendance at a Communion and Foot washing
service to see that many Free Will Baptist do not believe in it. Has it’s meaning
escaped us? Have we forgotten Jesus commanded us to do it? Let us be re-
minded of Jesus’ words: “Ye call Me master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I
am…Verily,verily, I say unto you, the servant is no greater than his Lord…”
(John 13:13,16b).
-Dennis Deweese
John alone records this dramatic event of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.
When one imagines all of the things that Jesus could have done in the final
hours before His crucifixion, this is the least likely. He takes us and His disciples
by surprise with His higher wisdom and purpose.
“…Supper being ended, the Devil having now put into the heart
of Judas Iscariot , Simon’s son to betray Him; Jesus knowing that
the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come
from God and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside
His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He
Poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet,
And to wipe them with the towel where with He was girded”
(John 13:2-5).
Jesus assumed the posture of a servant. The towel, basin, and the task all
spoke of service. His purpose is clear: to teach His disciples servanthood. “Let
this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus: who…took upon Him the
form of a servant”(Phil. 2:5-7). Jesus was the model servant. He Exercised
neither His own will nor sought to be ministered to. “For even The Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for
many”(Mark 10:45).
Jesus sought to elevate the act of service in the minds of those whose feet He
was washing: beyond the mere performing of an expected task or command. In
fact I think He was teaching them to do the unexpected, that which does not
come naturally to man, to think of others more highly than themselves. “…But
whosever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will
be chief among you let him be your servant”(Matt. 20:26-27).
II. “…Lord, dost thou wash my feet”(John 13:6b)?
Peter’s question is posed after Jesus had already washed some of the disciples’
feet. Peter is incredulous that Jesus is actually going to wash his feet. One
normally thinks pride exhibits itself in the person who refuses to wash another’s
feet. The truth is, pride can be found on both sides of the basin. Resolution
was building in Peter that Jesus not wash his feet; prompting Jesus’ response, “If
I wash thee not, thou has no part with me”(John 13:8b).
We can understand Peter’s sentiment, but what about Jesus’ statement? The
point that Jesus was making is that if Peter was to be His servant then and in the
future ,there would be demands made of him. These demands alone would
make him far more uncomfortable than having his Master wash his feet.
Peter’s request for a bath is used by Jesus to teach another lesson. “He that is
washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are
clean…”(John 13:10). The lesson is forgiveness. Just as a traveler who has
bathed before his trip along dusty roads need his feet washed when reaching
his destination, so do those who have been saved. As we journey through this
world, we need cleansing from its’ sinful grime from time to time. As Jesus’
servants we need not only to ask His for- giveness for wrongs done, but also ask
our fellow servants if we have wronged them. Submitting ones self to another to
be forgiven is not an easy task, but a necessary one.
III. “…Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet”(John 13:14b).
For many, Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet was an acted out parable and
nothing more. For others, like myself, Jesus was establishing an ordinance to
be practiced then and now. He wanted them to be reminded again and again
that they, like Himself, were not here to be ministered to, but to be ministers to
others.
There are six(6) points I wish for you to consider about the ordinance of feet
washing:
1. The word “ought” in verse fourteen(14) means to owe a debt or an obligation.
It was an emphatic statement suggesting that Jesus’ intent was that the disciples
literally wash one another’s feet as a reminder to minister to each other and any
one else they had the opportunity to minister to.
2. The argument that there is no Biblical evidence that feet washing was
practiced by the early church is answered by an examination of I Timothy 5:10.
Paul in giving instruction to Timothy concerning widows whom the Church should
support,
included as one of the qualifications, “…if she have washed the Saints’ feet….”
While there are those that would say that Paul was just reiterating the need for
those widows to show hospitality, it would appear to be overly redundant. Why
would she be expected to show hospitality to Saints only? Why single out this
act of hospitality and neglect all others (ref. Luke 7:44-46)? Why would she be
expected to show hospitality to Saints only? The answer is, this is not a mere
reference to customary hospitality, but a reference to the practice established
by Jesus in John, chapter thirteen(13).
3. The highest calling and the greatest privilege of the Christian is to be a
servant of Jesus Christ. By participating in washing the Saints’ feet, we are
reminded not only of the importance of our service, but also how we are to serve
Him. When we minister to others we are serving Christ. “…In as much as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
Me”(Matt. 25:40).
4. The need for daily cleansing from God, to forgive others, and to be forgiven
by others, is taught afresh each time we practice this ordinance. Jesus wants
His Church not only to be holy, but to be an example of loving fellowship, as well.
5. There is a special blessing promised to those who follow Christ’s example.
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you…If
ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”(John 13:15,17).
6. The practice of feet washing has been forsaken by many groups and appears
to be dying among Free Will Baptist. Even though it is part of what we say we
believe, one has only to look at attendance at a Communion and Foot washing
service to see that many Free Will Baptist do not believe in it. Has it’s meaning
escaped us? Have we forgotten Jesus commanded us to do it? Let us be re-
minded of Jesus’ words: “Ye call Me master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I
am…Verily,verily, I say unto you, the servant is no greater than his Lord…”
(John 13:13,16b).
-Dennis Deweese