At the Passover supper, Jesus washed his disciples feet. Peter does not know how to handle it. First he refuses because he feels it’s not right for the master to serve the follower, but Jesus responds that if he doesn’t allow it, Peter will have no share with him. Then Peter asks Jesus to wash his hands and head too, but Jesus tells him that a bathed person only needs to clean his feet. But there is one who is unclean, meaning Judas who had planned to betray Jesus. Here washing is a metaphor for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism was the original ceremonial cleansing of sins and death to the old way of living. For Christians today, indeed, we are forgiven once, but still have errors that we need to repent for daily, whether to God or our fellow man. Also we need to reorder leadership, in Mark 10:45 Jesus said he came to serve, not be served.
Judas leaves when Jesus tells him to go, with only Judas and Jesus knowing he is going to turn him in to the religious leaders. Judas allowed Satan into his heart and Jesus he perceived it. Here Judas seemed simply motivated by money and possibly dissatisfaction with how Jesus was running things. In Matt 6:24, Jesus reminded us that we can’t serve two masters. Either we use money for good, or it uses us for evil.
Jesus tells his disciples that he is giving them some important information before he leaves. Wait for it, it’s a big deal. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Loving others is a big deal, because it costs our time and resources and makes us vulnerable to hurt and disappointment.
Peter wants to know where Jesus is going and says he will follow him even to death. Jesus tells him that before the morning rooster, Peter will deny him three times. It’s pretty frustrating that both the disciple that means to and the one that doesn’t will both fail Jesus on the same night. Even those of us with the best intentions fall short. We can bathe, but we still have to get our feet washed too.
