The bewilderment of grace, in the bare hands of love

Albert Bogle April 15, 2025 3 3

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John 13:1-17, 31-35 (NIV)

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from Godand was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

 

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Today’s reading invites us to consider the disruptive yet loving act of Jesus washing the disciples feet. Jesus had already taught the disciples that true greatness is found through servanthood. True love is only uncovered through service. In the midst of their bewilderment Jesus enacts out grace. He takes off his outer robe — and taking a towel, kneels before each one of them and washes each person’s feet. He becomes the servant — the suffering servant mentioned in Isaiah 53 — despised and rejected carrying our grief and failure.

Put yourself among the disciples — what would it mean to translate feet washing into 21st century Christianity UK, or wherever you're reading this from? Perhaps it might mean allowing Jesus to wash our innermost thoughts to admit that we need to be cleaned up? At that point would we turn our heads away, broken ashamed to look him in the eye? Perhaps even more challenging — are we willing to become the servants offering our hands to another to share the gospel of forgiveness to feel their pain to be the hands of Christ for them?

Prayer:

Lord,

I think if you knelt to wash my feet

I’d be worse than Peter

I’d want to wash them myself

You see,

I don’t want to face my shame

I don’t want you look upon my sinfulness

My regrets, my anger, my selfishness

I don’t want to look you in the eye

I don’t want to see your hurt 

Your disappointment in me.

Yet I know I need to allow you to wash my feet

Quietly ever so quietly 

I see you there

Kneeling before me

You untie my shoes

Take off my socks

You hold my feet in your hands

Remove the grit and the grime

And wash me

Tears flow 

As you anoint the soles of my feet 

That I might walk upright

And share the good news of the Kingdom

Lord,

I’m sorry we’ve become strangers

I should be kneeling before you 

Yet you’re putting my socks back on

You’re tying my laces

Smiling up at me

And now together we’re standing 

Face to face 

Eye to eye

And you whisper my name

We’re not strangers

I’m your brother

And with a nod of your head

You say, “How’s your feet feeling?

Come, ‘Follow Me”