Let him wash your feet (John 13a)

John 13:1-17
Key verse 12:14

Someone says, “I see others’ feet every day.” Can you guess who says that? Yes, a foot doctor says that. I see my feet and wash them every day. By the way, they are getting ugly. What really makes me sad, though, is that I am ugly like my feet as I get old. What about your feet? Today we will talk about how to make our feet not ugly. The title of my message is “Let him wash your feet.”

Until chapter 12, Jesus did his public ministry and now he pays attention to his disciples. Chapters 13-17 are his farewell teachings for his disciples. Jesus unpacks to them the significance of his departure – his death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, he strengthens his disciples in preparation for his upcoming departure so that they may not stumble but become one as the new community of God’s people.
In today’s passage, Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. His washing serves both as a symbol of his cleansing of his own through his death and as an example of humble service among believers. I pray that we may learn how to serve one another and why. 

Jesus loves his own to the end
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The Passover was quickly approaching and Jesus knew that his departure was very close. He came down to this world from God and would go back to him soon. And he loved his own. “His own who were in the world” refers to his disciples. But by saying “his own” instead of his disciples, the author emphasized that they belonged to him though they were in the world and how precious they were to him. From the onset of his public ministry he called his disciples and was with them all the time. They were the new people of God, the community of the elect, and the nascent church.
Having loved them, he loved them to the end. Jesus loved them to the last moment despite their ignorance of his upcoming suffering and Judas’ betrayal. The word “To the end” (τέλος) also means reaching to the end with consumption. It is well-illustrated with the old extendable telescope Jack Sparrow used in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean.” It extends out one stage at a time to fully function. So the word “To the end” also means fully, utterly, or to the uttermost.
Jesus fully displayed his love particularly during the Passion Week. His love for them is one of the main themes flowing throughout the rest of this book and climaxes in chapter 21 where Jesus fed them by the Sea of Galilee, asking Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? “ As such, Jesus displayed his unflagging love for them. Let’s see how he loved them to the end in today’s passage.
Jesus washed his disciples’ feet as their servant – including Judas
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
While the supper was in progress, something was going on. The devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Judas agreed with the chief priests to sell Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. (Matt 26:14-16) But to Jesus, this was time for him to finish his work on earth and go back to God. He knew his power and status as the Son of God. He could have foiled the devil’s scheme with his power and removed Judas. But what did he do?
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Suddenly, he got up from the meal, while his disciples were still reclining around the table. He took off his outer clothing, meaning that he would not care about who he is. (To the Jews the outer clothing represented a person’s social status.) Then, like a servant, he wrapped a towel around his waist and began to wash his disciples’ feet and then dried them with the towel. Since Jews wore sandals, their feet easily got dirty when they went outside. So, they washed their feet very often. Rich people or guests were washed by a servant.
To wash someone’s feet, you have to lower yourself. You may need to kneel down. You touch the dirtiest and smelliest part of the body with your hands. Jesus, though he is the Son of God, lowered himself and washed human’s feet with his divine hands. He became a menial servant for his disciples. And among the disciples was Judas who would betray him. Jesus knew it, but he washed the traitor’s feet as well.
Usually, we humans become proud and want to be served when we have power, seniority, and money. That is why people try to make money and gain power. But Jesus the Son of God came to serve. (Mark 10:45) Jesus said in Luke 22:27, “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”  Though he is God in nature, he came to wash and serve people. It is so amazing and gracious to see Jesus’ hands washing his disciples’ feet. His disciples were stunned. Jesus washed them one after another. Then he came to Peter.
Jesus washed Peter’s feet
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
One time, I told one young missionary to call me by my first name without the missionary title because that was the American way. But he said, “No, Sir. I can’t do that” and looked very embarrassed. I understood him because he came from a country where he used to call older people respectfully. Probably, Peter had the same feeling. He was embarrassed and even got outraged. It was unthinkable for his teacher to wash his feet. So, Peter objected Jesus’ washing his feet. He was candid, but as Jesus said Peter did not understand why Jesus was washing his feet.
So Jesus said to him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me?” “Have no part with me” originally meant “have no portion of me” or “have no inheritance from me.” Here, it meant that unless he was not washed by Jesus, Peter could not participate in Jesus’ death, glory and eternal life. Hearing this, Peter asked Jesus to wash his hands and head as well. Peter was Peter.
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.
One who has already had a bath does not need to wash his head and his hands. He needs to wash his feet only after he walks on earth after his bath. Likewise, the disciples except Judas were already clean. In 15:3, Jesus said that they were clean because of his word. They believed his word and accepted Jesus as the Messiah. When the crowd left Jesus in chapter 6,
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
They were basically clean because they believed in Jesus. Then, what did Jesus’ washing mean? It is hard to interpret verse 10. But I would like to introduce two different interpretations.
Their feet got dirty when they walked on earth. Likewise, they sinned in their daily life. But their daily sins did not revoke their cleanness so they needed to wash their daily sins only. This interpretation is somewhat linked to verses 12-17 in that Jesus set them an example that he should wash one another’s shortcomings as Jesus covered their shortcomings.
Another interpretation is that Jesus’ washing was a symbol of their cleanness like baptism, which is the public announcement or confirmation of regeneration. His washing their feet pointed to the purification that would be made through his atoning sacrifice. So, by washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus implied the significance of his upcoming suffering and death for them. His death would completely cleanse all the sins of those who believed in him.
Either way, Jesus displayed his great love for them, by humbling himself and touching their dirty feet.
Jesus sets an example for his disciples – wash one another’s feet
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
After finishing the washing, Jesus asked if they understood his washing. It seemed that no one answered. So Jesus answered why he washed their feet. He first reminded them of who he was. He was “Teacher” and “Lord.” These titles were used when disciples called their rabbi in respect. Disciples were to obey, respect and serve their rabbi. And their rabbi was supposed to teach and command his disciples. That was the relationship between disciples and their rabbi in those days. Jesus was the teacher and Lord of his disciples. Most of all, Jesus is God in nature. But he humbled himself and served his disciples, which was unthinkable and stunning. No doubt, this came as a shock to the disciples.
Then, Jesus, their teacher and Lord, commanded them to wash one another’s feet! Since their Lord and Teacher washed their feet and set them an example, they should also wash their feet for one another. Following their rabbi was the way of discipleship. But washing other’s feet is a very hard thing to do because it entails humiliation and sacrifice.
On a Sunday, a pastor just finished his sermon and was sitting down on the steps to the stage, while some people from his congregation were coming forward to the altar. As usual, he let other leaders take care of those people. In fact, he was dog-tired after delivering the same message several times that day. He just wanted to take a break while some people were in line for help. Then he saw someone in the line staring at him. He looked like a homeless person. The pastor thought that the homeless person was there for money. Then he saw the person coming towards him. “Oh my, he was so smelly!” He could smell it even before the homeless man approached him. The Pastor said later that he had never experienced such a bad smell like that ever in his life. So he quickly opened his purse and gave him money to let him go away. Then the homeless man pushed it away. And he said, “Pastor, I don’t need money. I need Jesus.” Suddenly, this startled the pastor to his conscience. He realized that he terribly sinned before God by neglecting one soul God sent to him. He cried, “Lord, forgive my sin! I am a useless pastor. I am a hired hand. I confess that this man and I are no different. We both are smelly before you.” Then he hugged the homeless man for a long time and they both cried together. The homeless man cried because he felt God’s love through the pastor’s hugging despite his smell. The pastor cried because God still accepted him again as his servant though he was smelly too.
Accepting and hugging a smelly man like the homeless is difficult. But, the more difficult thing to do, which Jesus commanded in today’s passage, is washing our coworkers’ feet. When I went to Israel in 2011, I happened to join a church group who were going to the same place on the same airplane. They was a church pastor and leaders. While we were coming back together, one of the church members was taken aside by the Turkey customs officer and the souvenir she bought in Israel was confiscated. Then she got upset and blamed one of the church members who she thought did not help her at all. The man got upset too and complained to me about her though I was still a stranger to them. But this is a very small example out of so many problems we unfortunately see in the church today. We often judge our brothers and sisters or gossip about them mostly because we think we are right and they are wrong.
When I came to America as a missionary, I prayed that I might be a good coworker because I had heard there were many conflicts among coworkers. I didn’t have any co-working problems in Korea. But here in America I have faced challenges in co-working. Through these kinds of problems, I have learned about myself that I don’t want to lose or sacrifice myself to serve others. But I am confessing that I myself am so proud and sinful. I don’t want to wash other’s feet to the point of self-humiliation and I don’t want to let others to wash my feet either. What about you? Have you ever washed others’ smelly feet to the point of self-abasement? Or have you ever let other coworkers wash your feet? Have you ever confessed your shortcomings and dirt and asked coworkers for help?
It is hard, but Jesus wants and commands us to do so. I know that we all try to wash others’ feet but we fail so many times. Why? Why do we still judge others and have a hard time in loving them in Christ?
The reason Jesus’ disciples could not wash one another’s feet was that if they did, they would be servants. They didn’t want to be less. They rather wanted to be great. Likewise, in nature we don’t want to lower ourselves and sacrifice ourselves. Instead, we want to be recognized that we are right and better than others. Actually, we are afraid that we will lose our self-esteem, pride, and self-righteousness. But what did Jesus say about this
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus said that though he abased himself to wash his disciples, he was still their master and greater. Serving others does not change our status at all. Rather, God exalts such people who serve. Even if you look like you did wrong, even if you lose arguments, even if your sacrifice is not recognized, and even if we have to ask forgiveness to someone who actually did wrong to you, in order to wash the person’s feet, Jesus said, we are blessed.
It is not too much to stress the importance of bearing someone’s weaknesses and shortcomings. Why? 
Jesus’ disciples would be on their own soon since Jesus would leave them. Jesus was concerned about them. What was his primary concern and what was his hope for them? In chapter 17, Jesus lifted his last prayer for his disciples. (17:11)
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
The disciples were the new community of God’s people. They were to be the church. So the most important thing for them was to be one, as Jesus prayed. And washing one another’s feet was so crucial for them to be one. We can’t be one without washing one another’s feet. How is this possible then? It is possible by Jesus and with Jesus. Washing one another’s feet is bearing and cleaning other’s dirtiness, sinfulness, and shortcomings in our daily life as Jesus has done to us. Jesus even laid down his precious life to save smelly, evil sinners like us. Philippians 2:6-7 say,
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
Jesus commands us to wash one another’s feet and to become one in him. Wherever you go, there is always one person you cannot stand. The same is true in the church. Actually, there may be more than one person in the church whom you can’t bear because the church is not an assembly of ideal people but of sinners.
In today’s passage, we have learned that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. His foot-washing displayed his full and daunting love for his own, which ultimately pointed to his death on the cross. He loved them to the end. By washing their feet, Jesus also set them an example that they should wash one another’s feet as he did to them. We believers should love and serve our coworkers, young or old, more than anyone else because Jesus died for them also and his love for us compels us to do so. Our ministry is small comparatively but we can be blessed more by loving one another, by serving each other, by bearing each one’s shortcomings and weaknesses, and by praying for the person to the end until he or she can change. Then, the problems with them may be less important than you think. If we don’t try, however, we are not Jesus’ disciple. The Spirit of Jesus cannot be with us. But don’t try by yourself. First, accept and appreciate Jesus’ washing your feet. True humility comes when we first accept the love of Christ and let him wash our feet first. Earlier, I said, “I see and wash my feet every day.” But I pray that I can see others’ feet more often and wash them because Jesus has washed my feet.

by David Yun