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JESUS, WASHING THE FEET OF HIS DISCIPLES (JOHN 13)

Recollection, August 11

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Washing of the Feet of the Disciples (Jn 13:1-14)

¹Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

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² And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ and he rose from supper, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

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⁶ He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" ⁷Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will know (understand)."

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⁸Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

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¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not all clean.”

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¹² When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”

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1. Act of Intimacy

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“...behold, a woman, who was a sinner, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. (Lk 7:37-39)

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2. Act of Service

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Washing of the Feet and�the Parable of the Good Samaritan

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…he got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist… (Jn 13:4)

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“...their eyes were opened, they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves around the waist and made themselves aprons”. (Gen 3:7)

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Jesus and Peter

⁶ He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" ⁷Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will know (understand)."

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Jn 13:7

What I am doing you do not know now,
ὃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ σὺ οὐκ οἶδας ἄρτι,

but afterward you will understand." (Jn 13:7)
γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα. (Jn 13:7)

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The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' At once, Simon Peter tied his outer garment round him (for he had nothing on) and jumped into the water. (Jn 21:7)�

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Baptism by head.
Baptism by feet

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3. Act of Communion

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JESUS - PETER

There is a communion without any preference. Jesus had a preference for 2 disciples (Peter and John). But this preference is not closed or exclusive in the washing of the feet. He does not wash the feet only of the disciples, but also at the feet of Judas, a friend who betrays and at the feet of Peter who will betray him shortly. The most visible sign of the washing of the feet is the perfect communion. Look at the logo; Jesus is looking at the feet without looking at the face, while Peter looks nothing but the face of Jesus. Our religious style of service is without looking at the volt of preference. He washed them preferring, preferred them without excluding.

There is a difference between the Christian community and the social services and volunteers doing charity. Here is the difference, doing charity in communion. It is not necessary to be disciples of Jesus to serve others. The term communion comes from the term 'koinos' which means impure. Communion comes from the impure. The communion is nothing but the contamination (removing socks, touching the feet and washing). It is not a holy act, or pure act. How can we purify ourselves? By contaminating, purify yourselves. but purifies by contaminating oneself. To have communion not with gloves, but to enter the relationship without reserve, compromise. A communion is capable of not contaminating sin.

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Jesus took the bread, he blessed, gave thanks and broke it, he gave to them and said, “Take and eat for this is my my body...”

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Eucharistic table is the table of the word, but the washing of the feet is the table of charity. Eucharist is the mystery of transubstantiation (words of the celebrant). Both are no different. They are deeply related, one is reflected in the other. One can be seen in the other. One cannot be seen without the other. The non-separation between the Eucharist and charity. The Words of Jesus in the Mass; "This is my body given for you, this is my bloodshed for you." Kneeling is necessary for the veneration. But kneeling is indispensable for the washing of the feet. The body of Christ is an ecclesial body. Real communion. Worship and service are not separated rather they are one and the other linked closely. The Church has struck in between because of few scandals, but it is a call to move from worship to service, to move from service to worship. To take the Eucharist seriously is to begin to wash the feet of others, especially the feet of the poor. The Eucharist invites us to step down from pride, away from self-interest, to turn the mantel of privilege into the apron of service.

John would respond with two means, love of God and love of neighbor. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1Jn 4:20). Love for God passes through love of neighbor. Which is more important? According to John, both are important. Love for God is the engine for the other. Eucharist and basin /towel are the same.

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If any one says, “i Love God”, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen”. (1 Jn 4:20)