They were gathered together for an usual night, these brothers. Having spent the better part of the last three years together they had bonded together as brothers. These were the talmidim, Hebrew for "disciples." Jesus or Yeshua’s chosen, much as Israel is His Father’s chosen. This night was different, really different. It was Pesach, Passover. The night commemorating the eve of Israel’s deliverance out of the oppression of Egypt’s bondage - physical slavery and spiritual slavery. It was the night the Egyptian firstborn died because of pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to allow God’s chosen to go out and worship their God. It was the final night - God’s defeat of Egyptian idea’s of gods. Each plague showed that God’s power surpassed the power of Egypt’s "gods." This last night showed the pharaoh, considered a "god" in his own right, he had no power that compared with Adonai’s power. This night was the eve of the offering of Adonai’s firstborn. The promised offering Avraham spoke of when he alluded to the Offering God Himself with provide (Ge 12:8).

It wasn’t usual for the talmidim to quarrel, much as blood brothers to squabble among themselves. In the gospel we find that that one of the most common reasons for quarreling among the disciples was their position in the kingdom. In Luke we see that they did squabble about who would "be considered the greatest" (Luke 22:24). It may be that is the initiating incident for the text of scripture upon which this writing will be based. During the course of the Pesach Seder (the meal commemorating Passover; Seder meaning "order" [of ceremony]) there are four cups of wine poured. There was lamb eaten and the bread was not allowed to rise, but was unleavened and flat to remind the celebrants of the hurry in which they were obligated to leave Egypt. In the Seder here is a portion in which the youngest of the gathering asks four questions beginning with a general question: Why is this night different from every other night? The question is followed by: Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip [our food] even once, but on this night we dip them twice? Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matzah, but on this night we eat only matzah? Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs? Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?

John 13 tells us that at some point during the Seder Yeshua stood up, removed His outer garments and washed the feet of the talmidim, the feet of those who by tradition should have been washing His! Perhaps, it was in response to the last question. It is speculated that John was the youngest of the apostles, which is why in paintings depicting the disciples he is frequently pictured beardless [notably DaVinci’s Last Supper], so he would have been the one to pose the questions. This may be why the feet washing incident is emblazoned on John’s memory. The traditional answer to the last question is that once they were slaves in Egypt, but now they have been ransomed to freedom and can recline as much as any prince does at his meal. It would seem that Yeshua had a different answer.

It wasn’t unusual for the apostles to be concerned for their position in the kingdom to come, Yeshua’s kingdom. The oppression of Roman rule had long been the subject and source of much discussion and distress. It stands to reason, there will be a need for people to help the Messiah administer His kingdom, and they were the logical choices for the ministers. The only question remains: who will the first, second, third, etc. Yeshua was always trying to get them to see things differently. To see what being first in the kingdom - His kingdom, really meant. It was difficult for people of such a practical bent to conceive. Even Nicodimas was befuddled by the principles of Messiah’s kingdom and he held the office of teacher in Israel (John 3:10).

It wasn’t unusual, but Yeshua was not the usual teacher, He was The Teacher, The Rabbi. After disrobing, He wrapped a towel around his waist, like any common slave and taking some of the water intended for the water washing part of the Seder, poured it into a basin. He began washing feet. This was a real job, a distasteful job, a job for the lowest ranked slave or servant of the household. The streets were filled with people and animals, filled with the various products of life. All this was caked upon the feet because everyone who wore footwear, wore sandals. So this alone was humbling, yet Yeshua took it on. Whose feet did He was first? My thought is that it was Judas. That would fit entirely with His character, bestowing the greatest honor of having his feet washed first to His betrayer.

The usual is confronted by the Unusual and the whole social order is flipped upside down. Simon Peter, very much aware of the implications of this amazing act, and could not accept so Unusual a gift. "Lord! You are washing my feet?" "You don’t understand yet what I am doing, but in time you will understand." "No! You shall never wash my feet!" The Gift spoke to him gently, sternly, "If you do not let Me wash you, you have no share in Me." "Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and head too!" In other words, "if that’s what will make me Yours, then I want to be whole and completely Yours!" You gotta love Simon Peter. "A man who has had a bath doesn’t need to wash, except his feet - his body is already clean. And you people are clean, but not all of you." Did Judas flinch?

What does this mean? In Psalm 24 we are told who can stand in the holy place of Adonai - those with clean hands and pure hearts. Hands symbolize what we do. In Ephesians 6:7 we are told to take the helmet of salvation to protect our minds. This is something so profound and beautiful to contemplate. If we have a true understanding of what salvation means, we will have a clear idea of God’s tremendous, enormous, lavish love for us. If He would send His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our salvation, is there any good thing He would withhold from us if it were to truly benefit us? In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul tells the Thessalonians to put trust or faith as a breastplate and hope salvation brings as a helmet. That hope that salvation brings, is a true trust and faith that, God, having spared nothing in purchasing us with the blood of His Son, will continue to spare nothing good to complete the "good work" He has begun in us (Php 1:5). And if we do not receive something, then we can trust that it was not good for us. He had been working to help the disciples adjust their thinking. He had set an example, and talked to them about personal behavior about what to do. Now He was going to talk about how they should walk out this knowledge: how to keep their feet clean.

It wasn’t unusual for the talmidim to have their entrenched way of thinking be challenged and this night was no exception. Why is this night different from every other night? The most profound and amazing Gift of all time was in the processing of being given. After washing their feet He put on His clothing and sat down again. "Do you understand?" No, we don’t understand. We don’t understand the God of the universe, the very force that holds all things together (Col 1:17) stripped off his garments and washed the feet of fishermen, tax collectors, and the very man whose betraying kiss would shortly place him in the hands of those who would torture and kill Him. No, we do not understand how the Father loved us so much He sent the Son. We do not understand how the Son could love us so much He would enter into our squalor and despair, share it and give His all to redeem us from it. We don’t understand how the Holy Spirit loves us so much He dwells in us in spite of our propensity to wander from God’s path and into our own sin.

Why is this night different; why is it so unusual? He came to wipe the filth from us. He came to cleanse us head to toe. He came to introduce us to a new path, a new life - The Way. There’s a story of a new Christian being confronted by his mother: ‘You’ve been brainwashed!’ she accused him, regarding his new way of thinking. He replied, ‘Mother, if you knew what I had been thinking, you’d be happy my brain has been washed.’ That’s how He works. By washing feet, He is addressing the figurative function of feet. Feet are our contact with the earth, the world. It is how we "get down and dirty," so to speak. It is how we are to relate to the world. Do we trample and oppress, stomping through on our mission (the Great Commission) as did the Roman troops? Do we regard ourselves as "above" or "better" than the world like the praying Pharisee comparing himself to the tax collector (Luke 18:11)? Do we have a right idea of our own redeemed state, knowing it isn’t anything we ourselves have done except acknowledge Messiah’s redeeming power? We keep our feet clean by walking humbly and in love. 

It was an unusual night, more different than any other Passover before. He, Lamb of God, was about to finish His mission, to accomplish our redemption, to become the sacrifice which God provided Himself. First, however, He needed to address this walk the disciples, and we, were to walk. This is the subject of the next few chapters of John. However, in this short address after the foot washing, as is His wont, He gives a nutshell:

In Luke 22:25-27 we have further illumination:

He was among us as one who serves. Are we among others as one who serves? So often, I find myself wanting my share of credit or acknowledgement, or asking, "What about me?" I want people to pay attention to me, or to make me more comfortable. We are called to think less of ourselves, as did John the Baptist: He must increase but I must decrease (John 3:30). Lest I give the impression of being above the fray, during the writing of this piece I received a firsthand example. During the Passover season I received unexpected visitors. They were not unwelcome, just extra worries during a busy time. When they left there was a rather large pile of extra towels to hand wash because the clothes washer is out of commission, and they, not realizing that I rarely use the dishwasher to wash dishes but as a drain board for already washed dishes, put a load of not scraped dishes in with my clean dishes. There were other very minor but time consuming things they left amiss. Instead of looking at this as a situation for service to some very sweet, dear people, I was tempted to resentment. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit pointed out the irony and I had a good laugh at myself. Still, this revealed my heart to me. That’s what service will do for us. It reveals our true hearts. Am I really humble? Let’s just see about that when I am called to serve, especially when it is inconvenient or unexpected. There’s a saying, "One doesn’t really know what is in a tea bag until it’s put in hot water." It proves true time and again in my life.

It isn’t unusual for us to feel resentful, or put upon or to be concerned for our position or comfort. But we are called to a higher level, a better walk, eschewing the usual. Later on in the chapter, vv. 34-35, Messiah spells it out for us: "I am giving you a new command, that you keep on loving each other, in the same way that I have loved you. You are also to keep on loving each other. Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you lave love for each other." We get so caught up in working for the kingdom we forget what the kingdom means. It means washing extra towels and extra dishes, as well as writing about it. It means parting with hard earned money in a time of need, because someone in more need has crossed our path. It’s by God’s grace we have those resources, anyway; just as it is by God’s grace that these people receive them.

We get a firmer grasp on these concepts, loving others more in the mold of how Messiah loved us - as we understand He loved us while we were yet sinners, Romans 5:6-8. Finally, in regard to our walk we find that we are exhorted to "wear on our feet the readiness that comes from the Good News of shalom" (Eph. 6:15). The readiness from the gospel - the Good News - of peace, shalom. Here we see that the idea behind a word is enriched in knowing what the Hebrew concept is. Shalom involves more than calmness; it is the embodiment of health, wholesomeness, the good welfare body, soul and spirit. When an Israeli asks, "How is your shalom?" He or she is asking how you are doing body, soul and spirit. That is what the Gospel of Messiah gives us, beyond calmness to the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control. If we wear this footwear, then we will have readiness of the shalom. Have you ever had a friend whose foot steps you know well and welcome the sound? This is what the Gospel is for us. Wearing this footwear makes the Isaiah 52:7 true: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, proclaiming shalom, bringing good news, of good things, announcing salvation and says to Tziyon, "Your God is King!" Yeshua is King! He served us and we can serve too,because when the Unusual meets the usual - when the Savior meets the sinner - the extraordinary happens, if we just surrender to Him.  We too can have beautiful feet.