Reading: John 13:1-17, Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

The story of the Last Supper is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Every time I read it I am given the sense I am at the movie theatre watching a really important scene unfold. The story opens with suspense by telling us that Jesus knows the hour has come for him to leave this world and go to the Father… We think this means he is going to die, and many of us know this, but we are still left hoping for a different outcome every time… What follows are beautifully poetic words noting how Jesus has loved this motley crew of disciples until the very end… His disciples don’t know what the reader knows: this will be their last supper.

The suspense builds as we find out that Judas has been prompted by the devil to betray Jesus. What will our Lord, our hero, our Messiah do next? If we have any familiarity with traditional heros, we know he must do something. What follows is the extraordinary claim that Jesus knew the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God (v. 3). We are led to believe that Jesus is getting ready to punish evil and stand victorious over the evil doer in his midst. But does that happen? No. Instead, what happens next is Jesus gets up, removes his garment, and instead of wrapping a towel around his fists, Jesus wraps a towel around his waist. He puts on the appearance of the person with the least authority in society and the lowest authority in the room. He lowers himself, he fills up a basin of water, and he begins to wash his disciples feet.

At this point, we are given a dialogue between Peter and Jesus, of which much can and has been said over time. But this is not the dialogue I want for us to focus on today. Instead, I want to focus on a different disciple. The disciple who the story tells us is the villain. I want to focus on Judas. The question I want you to think about is whether or not Jesus washed Judas’ feet? Read the story again. Does it say Jesus washed his feet?

I contend that Jesus washed Judas’ feet, and it is perhaps one of the deepest images The Bible can offer in our spiritual lives. I contend that Jesus washed Judas’ feet because the first verse tells us, “loving his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Judas was one of Jesus’ own. This is a Biblical fact. We know that Jesus was not afraid to call out Judas for his betrayal (“What you are about to do, do quickly.” John 13:27), but he was also not afraid to love him. Jesus also says to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” And in Jesus’ mind, Judas had a part in Jesus, until the very end. Without a doubt, Judas had his feet washed.

But even though Judas had his feet washed, something went wrong. Something interfered with the outward washing from Jesus that carried the power and possibility of so much more. Judas was outwardly clean, but even Jesus did not choose to dictate the decisions of another person’s heart. Jesus loved Judas enough to give him the dignity to choose. Jesus loved Judas enough to choose to love him anyhow, no matter what was going on and no matter what was about to happen. Jesus loved Judas enough to offer him freedom. And if we are honest with ourselves we are probably more like Judas at times in our life than we care to admit. Maybe this is why even Jesus ends this scene with his disciples by reminding them that now that they know these things they will be blessed if they do them. For Jesus did his part in loving us and loving his disciples, and until he comes again he is patiently waiting for us to do the same.

I chose to focus on Judas because all too often I do not do the right thing. All too often, I struggle with questions of suffering and brokenness in the world and they significantly interfere with my actions towards God. But today, I chose to focus on Judas because even Judas was washed. Even Judas was loved by Jesus until the very end. Our Teacher and Lord does not deal with disobedient students the way the world or the movie theatre does. Instead, Jesus loves us in the most powerful way that any Father can. He loves us by being completely vulnerable. He loves us as he washes us with the gifts of life and mercy. In doing so he gives us the freedom to decide how these good gifts will be received. Will we let the significance of God serving us penetrate our hard and selfish hearts? Do we have faith that as long as there is breath in our lungs that God is waiting on us to let him truly wash us, and for us to know we are forgiven?

The story of Judas ends in tragedy. And not because Jesus could not forgive him. The story of Judas ends in tragedy because Judas could not forgive himself. Our story in John reminds us that Jesus had already forgiven him for what he had done and what he was going to do. Jesus washed Judas’ feet because he needed him to know that. The story of our Christian faith proclaims the dignity and freedom that it is up to us to decide how we will respond to God’s love. My prayer today is that we may see ourselves in Judas. And may we allow God’s forgiveness to wash over our hard and stubborn hearts when we do.

 

Reflection questions
As Jesus was washing Judas’ feet, what might Jesus have felt? How might Jesus have prayed? What allowed Jesus to do this?
Is the same power that was given to Jesus in the role of a servant available to you? What would that look like? What people has Jesus placed next to you at the table?
As the semester comes to a close, what does it look like for you to be faithful like Jesus until the very end?

 

With servant love,
Alec