Bob Prichard

Topic(s): Church, Denominationalism, Worship, Jesus

As He joined His disciples in their last Passover meal together, Jesus prepared the disciples for their work of beginning the church and carrying the gospel to the world. It was at this meal that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, or communion, to be practiced by His followers down through the ages. On that night, His disciples had left one thing undone. The ordinary practice for a special occasion such as the Passover meal was that a servant would wash the dirty feet of the guests, who wore sandals as the standard footwear for walking the dusty roads. None of the twelve were humble enough to perform that menial task for the others. This provided the opportunity for Jesus to teach His disciples the importance of humble service to one another.

Having finished the meal, Jesus “laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (John 13:4-5). He knelt before the disciples and washed both feet of each one, including Judas, who was about to betray Him. Having finished doing the task of a servant for His disciples, Jesus said, “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 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” (John 13:12-15).

Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” The example He was speaking of was His example of humble service, which had taken the form of washing the feet of His disciples. He was not instituting another act of worship, as He had done with the Lord Supper, but was giving them an object lesson in humility and service. There are frequent New Testament references to the church meeting to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30), but there is no biblical reference to the church practicing the washing of feet as worship. The only other reference to “feet washing” is in 1 Timothy 5:10, where Paul lists it among other good works, such as bringing up children, and lodging strangers, that a godly widow would do (in her normal Christian service, not in worship). The Lord never intended for foot washing to be practiced as part of worship. It was a simple matter of cleanliness, made necessary by the land in which He lived. As Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He washed away the dirt to give them an example of humble service to men who just before the supper were arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom.

Jesus warned His followers that the path to greatness in His kingdom is the path of service. “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28). We should keep His example of service always before us!