John 13:1-20
1 It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.
2 Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God.
4 So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist.
5 Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?"
7 Jesus answered him, "You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later."
8 Peter declared, "Never at any time will you wash my feet!" "If I do not wash your feet," Jesus answered, "you will no longer be my disciple."
9 Simon Peter answered, "Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!"
10 Jesus said, "Those who have taken a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet. All of you are clean—all except one."
11 (Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, "All of you, except one, are clean.")
12 After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. "Do you understand what I have just done to you?" he asked.
13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am.
14 I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet.
15 I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you.
16 I am telling you the truth: no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them.
17 Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!
18 "I am not talking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the scripture must come true that says, 'The man who shared my food turned against me.'
19 I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that 'I Am Who I Am.'
20 I am telling you the truth: whoever receives anyone I send receives me also; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."
The scripture specifically says it was now the day before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that his time with his disciples was coming to and end. He considered them to be his own and loved them to the very end, even Judas who he already knew was going to betray him.
On this day Jesus and his disciples were all together at supper. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power and that he was now about to return to the father.
Jesus didn't get up to wash feet before the meal. It wasn't a matter of someone not following hygiene protocol. Maybe it had something to do with the discussion at table.
Jesus taught an important lesson via his totally unexpected actions in the middle of supper. The disciple's feet may not have actually been that dirty, although at least one of them had dirty feet in the video.
In verse 13 Jesus said, "I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet." Many use this one verse as a doctrinal basis for gathering together on special occasions to wash each other's feet. Because he had washed his disciple's feet in the middle of supper Jesus did say that they should wash one another's feet.
It doesn't say that the disciples washed anybody's feet at this meal, in fact, no where else in scripture does it say that the disciples washed each other's feet. So what did Jesus mean? Was he expecting them to return the favor and wash his feet after he washed theirs? No, that would be contrary to his teaching against doing for others in expectation of receiving a favor in return.
It seems like Jesus is saying, "See, I am your Teacher and Lord. I have a place of importance to you, but I'm not too important to get down and wash your dirty feet. Maybe what Jesus meant when he said that they should wash one another's feet was that they should be willing to serve others without expecting anything in return.
It is true that none of the other gospels mention anything about Jesus or his disciples washing anyone's feet. So why do we put such emphasis on this story? Can it be corroborated?
Luke's gospel doesn't mention anything about feet washing but Luke 22:24 says, "An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest."
Jesus replies, "But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves."
Remember in John 13:13 Jesus says, "You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet."
In both Luke and John, Jesus finds it necessary to intervene in the conversation and teach the disciples that to be great in the Kingdom of God a disciple needs to be willing to serve no matter how important he thinks he or she is. The message rings true in both gospels though shared via a different lens by each gospel author.
Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."
What can you or I individually do to be the kind of disciples Jesus wants us to be?