Meditations from Zion

John 13:10a
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean….”

So what could this mean? It’s fairly well accepted that foot washing is a sign of serving others: the willingness to do the most menial of tasks for another person. Prior to beginning the washing of feet, John reports that Jesus’s intentions were to show the “full extent of his love” for the disciples [John 13:1] But why does he also say that only the feet need to be washed?

Feet are funny things. They carry so much throughout our lives. They are our stability and a part of our balancing acts. They are the primary way we move from one place to another. They are a foundation. We usually forget about our feet unless they hurt. Plus, anyone can attest to the fact that there’s nothing worse than stinky feet! 🙂

But what other meanings can be gleaned from Jesus’s act of washing only the feet? I think the symbolism is in tandem with the the other pronouncement about feet in Mark 6:11: “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” By washing their feet, the disciples were starting fresh and new. Whatever happened before, while they walked with Jesus or went out in His name in ministry, whatever shaking they did or dust they collected, would be washed away. From that day of foot washing, everything would be different. It was a turning point in their lives.

Sometimes it’s important to create a physical representation of renewal. If you want to mark a day, then wash your feet, prayerfully. If you are ministering to someone who needs to mark that day, wash his/her feet. This is the small revelation I had today. This is my next step… with clean feet.