The Scripture setting: “He [Jesus] riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 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. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 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. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, 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. 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. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:4-17
Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The word “ought” was a binding word. Webster says of the word ought, “to be held or bound in duty or moral obligation: to be necessary.” In the Greek the word “ought” means a debt owed – one that must be paid. Therefore, the “ought” of Jesus applies beyond the setting in John 13 and embraces the NT Church as a whole.
Notice how that Paul, in writing to Timothy, tells him that for a widow to be recognized and for her to receive the benefits of a widow, she must meet the requirements and qualifications as recorded in 1 Timothy 5:9-10. Notice one of these requirements was that she must “have washed the saints’ feet.” Clearly this clause indicates that the ceremony of feet washing was both a recognized and ongoing event in the NT church else Paul would not have made it one of the requirements.
The reason that Jesus instituted the ordinance of feet washing is found in John 13:16, “The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” We seem to need to be reminded often that we are called to be servants of Jesus Christ. We are called to minister, rather than to be ministered to.
When we recall that certain of the disciples, just previous to this event, felt they deserved a higher position than the others and desired the higher seats. To which, Jesus set them in order by telling them that to be great, or to occupy a higher seat, they must first be a servant, taking the low seat, as seen in Matthew 20:25-28. This kind of inequality among saints was not to be allowed to exist, therefore, a real physical act of servanthood was to be undertaken by all the saints.
We must realize that BOTH positions of the feet washer and the one who’s feet are being washed is an humbling position to be in whether kneeling to wash or seated to be be washed because the kneeler is in a servant position and the washed is in the Lord’s rightful position. The washer and the washed both experience a deep humbling of spirit.
“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. 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. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
Happy are ye if ye do them……..Amen.
— jlg —