The Reading— Philippians 2: 4-8
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
The Gospel Reading: John 13: 1-17
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to God. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that [God] had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, [servants] are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
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God, make us willing to become your servants. Teach us to love one another with a servant’s heart. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts bring you honor and glory. Amen
As many of you know, the Board and I with some other team leaders have just returned from a church size summit. It was an exciting 2 days—we learned much that we will want to share with you in the coming months and, although, I couldn’t have known it, today’s sermon somehow fits in with what we came away with.
Throughout the four Gospels, Peter gets a good bit of attention and not all of it good. But there are some interactions between Jesus and Peter, both in John’s Gospel and in others that might shed some light on Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ actions in this passage, the passage that will conclude our study of John this summer. Now, those of you who follow the liturgical calendar may find my choice of passages confusing. It is true that we most often study the practice of foot-washing on Maundy Thursday or some other time during Lent or Holy Week. I believe that if we limit the profound truth inherent in this passage, though, we miss a crucial message in the Good News itself.
Peter, according to most accounts, was one of the first 3 or 4 disciples chosen by Jesus. Peter is the only disciple whose name is changed by Jesus. The story in the first chapter of John goes like this: “Andrew, Simon’s [Peter's] brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock"). There is no real explanation of why Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter, but since we know how the story ends, we can see that Jesus is laying the groundwork, or the foundation, for the community that would be left on this earth after he returned to God.
At one point, somewhat early in the ministry, things are really difficult for the disciples and for Jesus. Many were walking away at this point—finding it too difficult to follow Jesus’ radical break with tradition. Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
It is Peter who replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."
Jesus responded, "Haven't I handpicked you, the Twelve?”
Peter, as one of the chosen disciples, would have been present during all of the miracles that are recorded in the Gospel of John and elsewhere. He would have heard all the teachings. He would have known that Jesus had declared himself to be the light of the world, the bread and water for spiritually hungry and thirsty people. Though John does not record it, we know through Matthew’s telling that Peter was the one disciple who trusted Jesus enough to attempt to come to him by walking on the water as Jesus was doing. Peter fails in his fear, but knows enough to call out to Jesus to save him.
Peter was with Jesus at the moment of his transfiguration atop the mountain. Peter, lovable risk-taking Peter, is jubilant at having witnessed this moment and in his excitement misses the spiritual meaning of the event as he is busy planning to build monuments to commemorate the moment.
While found in Matthew’s Gospel, though not in John’s, it is Peter whom Jesus declares to be the rock of his church. Peter is consecrated, right then and there, as the leader of Jesus’ followers after he departs.
And, so, close to the time of the end of Jesus’ ministry and time on earth, the Disciples and Jesus are gathered to celebrate Passover. One by one, Jesus is washing the feet of the Disciples. Now, in itself, the washing of feet would not have been uncommon in that time and place. People, if they had shoes at all, would have worn sandals. Roads were dirt, and people and animals shared the road which created a certain problem, if you know what I mean. It was common courtesy to wash the feet of your visitors. What was unusual and unsettling for the Disciples is the Who in the story. Cultural norms would have required that someone of servant or student status wash and dry the feet of those gathered there. In fact, it would have not only been a servant, it would have been the lowliest servant of the household who would have this inevitably dirty task. And, although this was a private gathering where there would have been no servants, what Jesus is doing is completely out of order. So Peter would have been extremely confused as he watched Jesus take on this role.
Put yourself in the role of Peter and the other disciples. What in the world was Jesus doing now? Surely, he knew that this task was far beneath him. He was their teacher, they his students. What he is doing is very unteacherlike. They wait for an explanation as one by one they submit to this process. All of a sudden, it is Peter’s turn. All the other disciples appear to be shocked into mute acceptance of Jesus’ actions. But not Peter, when Jesus bends down to wash Peter’s feet, Peter exclaims, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" Jesus simply says, “You cannot understand what I am doing now, but later you will”. Later was not satisfying impetuous Peter. He protested that Jesus should not undertake this lowly, dirty job. “You’re not washing my feet.” Jesus, with love and calmness replies, “If I don’t wash your feet, then you will have no part in me.” So, Peter, in a jump of attitude that would shock anyone, says, “Then not just my feet, wash all of me.” Jesus replies, “because you have already bathed, you need only have your feet washed and you will be clean.” Now, with the wonder of hindsight, we know that Jesus is speaking completely in spiritual metaphors. But these metaphors caused great confusion among the disciples. Without the insight of the Holy Spirit, the disciples could not understand everything until later. Jesus asks them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and I appreciate that because I am your Teacher. Since I, your Teacher have washed your feet, you must now be willing to wash each others’ feet. This is an example of how you are to treat each other. A servant is not ranked above the master; and vice versa”. And then, the requisite and expected call to action from Jesus: “If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life”.
Now there is both relief and burden in knowing how the story ends. The relief part is obvious. Jesus is Lord and rises again in defeat of death and evil. But the burden is real. It is painfully clear what Jesus is suggesting. With no regard to status or title, we are to take on the tasks that usually belong to the outcast or bottom of the barrel folks and do these tasks joyfully for each other. No one who follows Christ is to set themselves above any other human being or group of human beings. God blesses those whose commitment to others leads them to countless ways of serving as conduits for divine love and grace.
Many churches believe that Jesus’ actions on that night are to be followed in actual rituals. In other words, we should literally wash each others’ feet in a service set aside for that purpose. You’ve got to know by now, that I do not agree with that interpretation. I am not saying that ritual foot-washing cannot be meaningful for we are people with real bodies and we think in physical, corporeal ways. Nevertheless, if we confine foot-washing to a once a year event, we lose the broader meaning behind the action; and, we have missed the significance of what Jesus is saying in this passage. The disciples were familiar with the act of foot-washing and the need for it; but Jesus turned their actual experience of foot-washing upside down and told them to follow his example. Jesus is calling us to understand the heart of his servanthood. Not only would he lay down his life, soon after this occurrence, he also wanted his followers to understand the truest, purest form of his message—service and obedience to God which shows itself through service to and love for others. Serving others in this way does not limit our giving, nor does it promise any rewards.
Though rarely followed, Jesus is here revealing a living out of the spiritual life, through the gift of grace, that insures that no one is left behind or left out. How do I know that we—that is we humans, everywhere—are not following this kind of spiritual life?—because there are left out and left behind people at every turn in our lives. So, IF we are to follow Christ and live out Christ’s spirituality of servanthood, we have some serious questions to ask ourselves. Will we as individuals and as a church consciously choose and intentionally live out a life of outgoing, humble service toward others, or will we be content to live out our lives satisfied with the joy of worship and pleasure of fellowship in our lives?
In the last image of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John there is a conversation between Jesus and Peter. It is the third time that John records Jesus’ appearance after the resurrection; they are again at a meal. After they dine, Jesus says to Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter assures him that he does and Jesus says, “Feed my lambs”. Jesus asks again, “Do you love me?” Again Peter assures him that this is so. “Feed my sheep”, responds Jesus. One last time, Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Peter, wondering where Jesus is going with this, says, “Jesus you know all things, so you know that I love you”. One last time, Jesus responds, “Feed my sheep”. And this we know for sure, if we love him, we will feed his sheep. And Jesus says, “follow me”. Amen and amen.
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