The Lord Jesus knew the men who believed Him would have sorrows when He was gone, and He taught them in a plain way how they could help one another.
In that land people often walked barefooted or with sandals bound on their feet, so the dust of the roads soiled them. It was the duty of a servant to wash his master’s feet at evening, and also the guests’. That refreshed those washed, but was not a pleasant task for the servant.
Yet the Lord Jesus did that for the disciples that last evening He was with them. They were in the room where they had eaten the Passover supper together, and He laid aside His outer garments, fastened a towel around Him as a servant then did, and taking a basin of water He washed each disciple’s feet, and wiped them with the towel.
A Perfect Example
When the Lord had washed all He sat down again with them, and said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
This would show them that they should do whatever was needed for one another, to be like Him. He had left His place of glory to come to earth to do a work for all. Then there was still more those men would learn of how to help each other, for the Lord told them, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”
If He had meant only that they should wash dust from one another’s feet, they would have known His meaning then, for that was a common act to them. But later those men would find they did wrong things as they walked through the world. Those would soil their lives as dust soiled their feet.
Water could not clean their wrong ways, only God’s Word could do that by causing them to be sorry for their wrongs. They could help one another if, when one knew another had done a wrong, he would tell him God’s Word, carefully and patiently. This was just as a good servant would not be careless and rough when he washed his master’s feet.
Enjoyment of Him
He was to give His own life that all who believed Him would be made “clean” of their sins in God’s sight, by His blood. But as long as he was in this world each one would need to be corrected by His words, or He could not bless them, or have “part”, or enjoyment with them. (v. 8). This is called “washing of water by the Word” (Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)).
How kind and wise the Lord Jesus was to show those men that night not to be proud, but humble, as servants to one another. He planned for their help and blessing in the time ahead for them. His same care is for all who belong to Him now.
“Having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end.”
Further Meditation:
1. What does the Bible mean when it says we should wash one another’s feet?
2. Why does it require divine love to perform this service for others? What other scriptures would help us to have the right attitude in “washing another’s feet”?
3. You might find “Feet Washing” by C. Wolston to give a nice extension to your meditations on this important topic.