Deacons feel a special affection for this passage, in Christ’s extraordinary act of service, the washing of his disciple’s feet. It is a reminder that we are all called to serve in humility and love, just as Jesus did, all of us who sit at his table and share in his body and blood. The Eucharist compels us also to do what Jesus did for others.
The liturgy of Maundy Thursday is about intimacy. Intimacy revealed in a meal and washing of feet. Intimacy can be frightening. It calls us to a place of vulnerability, risk and openness, a place where we can be changed, transformed. It is about relationship, oneness and union, with God, each other and ourselves. It is how God loves. It is how we are to love. Jesus gives us an example of unconditional love and service, a parable in action.
To allow Jesus to touch our feet is to allow him to touch our will, to remove all that prevents us from following him, to scrub away our insecurities, to wash away our weariness, to buff off our bitterness. Can we allow Jesus to wash that part of us that needs to change, that needs healing and forgiveness? Can we accept that Jesus wants to make us whole, holy and fully human? To be a disciple and part of the Kingdom, we too need to be washed.
Foot washing is a divine courtesy that God has for us. It demonstrates how Jesus cares for us all through life. See how in gentleness he kneels down before us to raise us up. This is the mystery of God. Jesus asks us to look to him for inspiration and guidance, to serve in a humble, sincere and loving manner, to notice when people need help, to be available to comfort and support, to be unashamed to be the servant.
—The Rev. Kathryn Ballinger
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