Title: Cleaned Feet
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: John 12:1-11; 13:1-35
We don't think much about dirty feet. Our culture does not remove shoes at the door to enter a building. Our floors aren't dirt. We navigate paved roads and sidewalks that minimize what filth would cover our feet, even if we went barefoot or wore open sandals. Our roads and paths are not near open sewage. Dogs, pigs, and chickens don't leave their waste where we walk and little children play. Washing one's feet in Jesus' day was a completely different concept anyone but a barefoot farmer among us would readily understand. It was necessary. It was also a task more akin to cleaning toilets than taking a guest's coat or showing them to a seat. It might be a service extended to dignitaries, but it was far beneath any but the lowest in the social rankings. Why would God wash the feet of any like us?
Today's passage finds a certain parallel or contrast between two stories of foot-washing, both at the end of Jesus' ministry, specifically within his last week. When Mary comes to wash Jesus' feet (there is some confusion as to which Mary), the circumstances are at minimum odd. When Jesus bends to wash the feet of his disciples, odd does not come anywhere close to describing the event. Peter is completely justified in being baffled, aghast, and balking at Jesus washing his feet.
While the gospel accounts differ on details, they agree Jesus was at Bethany. Lazarus and sisters were present. The precise location of the meal is uncertain, but they were probably at another's home in Bethany, where Jesus as well as Lazarus were guests along with Mary and Martha. The woman was who approached Jesus seems to have already been known to him. She was known well-enough in the community to give her a less than stellar reputation. For most of the guests, that was the issue. This woman, known to be sinful in some respect, approached Jesus, touched him, and he allowed it, not moving to condemn and cast her ...
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: John 12:1-11; 13:1-35
We don't think much about dirty feet. Our culture does not remove shoes at the door to enter a building. Our floors aren't dirt. We navigate paved roads and sidewalks that minimize what filth would cover our feet, even if we went barefoot or wore open sandals. Our roads and paths are not near open sewage. Dogs, pigs, and chickens don't leave their waste where we walk and little children play. Washing one's feet in Jesus' day was a completely different concept anyone but a barefoot farmer among us would readily understand. It was necessary. It was also a task more akin to cleaning toilets than taking a guest's coat or showing them to a seat. It might be a service extended to dignitaries, but it was far beneath any but the lowest in the social rankings. Why would God wash the feet of any like us?
Today's passage finds a certain parallel or contrast between two stories of foot-washing, both at the end of Jesus' ministry, specifically within his last week. When Mary comes to wash Jesus' feet (there is some confusion as to which Mary), the circumstances are at minimum odd. When Jesus bends to wash the feet of his disciples, odd does not come anywhere close to describing the event. Peter is completely justified in being baffled, aghast, and balking at Jesus washing his feet.
While the gospel accounts differ on details, they agree Jesus was at Bethany. Lazarus and sisters were present. The precise location of the meal is uncertain, but they were probably at another's home in Bethany, where Jesus as well as Lazarus were guests along with Mary and Martha. The woman was who approached Jesus seems to have already been known to him. She was known well-enough in the community to give her a less than stellar reputation. For most of the guests, that was the issue. This woman, known to be sinful in some respect, approached Jesus, touched him, and he allowed it, not moving to condemn and cast her ...
There are 14317 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
