Foot Washing

At the end of the 'last supper' Jesus launched out into a significant dialogue with his disciples. Chapters 13 through 17 of John are extremely important and worthy of our attention. Jesus Christ was about to leave. It is a gold mine in truth and teaching. The very first illustration he presented was 'foot washing':

John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.  

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.  

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

Peter is a funny guy. "Lord, are you washing my feet?" Can you imagine what was going through his head? Dusty feet was a common problem in their dry sandy culture. Peter's reaction was: 'I'll take care of it myself.' Jesus told him there is something deeper behind what he was illustrating. The point  made involves caring for others. Jesus was pretty blunt with Peter. Peter overreacted and offered his head and hands to clean. 'Pete you are clean, it is just your feet.'

Walking through life we get dust on our feet. Our friends are the ones who help us dust it off. We do that for each other. Spiritually speaking, as we walk through his world we are bound to get dusty but we shouldn't let this contaminate our whole being. 'Shaking the dust off our feet' from this world is paramount and others can help us do that at times. Jesus also indicated that some individuals are totally 'dusty' from head to toe when he says "Ye are not all clean." He was referring to some who had bigger problems than dusty feet.

Jesus asked the disciples:

 Know ye what I have done to you? ¹³ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. John 13:12b-16

Do we understand what he was illustrating?