Psaume 42 Lévitique 16.2-24 Ephésiens 2.11-18 Luc 23.1-25
John 13.1-17, 31b-35 Jean 13.1-17, 31b-35
Unless I wash you, you have no part
with me
It is the tradition in many churches
on Maundy Thursday to do ‘foot washing’ as part of the service. In the churches
I have been part of, it is actually quite often difficult to find the
volunteers who are willing to produce their feet to be washed – Yet, it can be
a very profound and moving experience; both for the recipient and the one
kneeling doing the washing.
At theological college, John Bell
from the Iona community led our service one Maundy Thursday – A friend of mine
was the volunteer to have her feet washed – She described it afterwards as
‘simply extraordinary’ and was moved to paint the experience in the 24 hours
silence which followed: The painting was stunning, it was worship, and it spoke
to our spirits of what it was that Jesus had done for us.
Jesus knelt and washed his disciples
feet – In doing so he caressed them, loved them and served them in the most
humble of ways and told them to go and do likewise. Less than 24 hours later he
hung lifeless on the cross – the memory
of his touch on their feet would have been fresh in the minds – He had made
them clean, but what had they done for Him?
In 2014, Pope Francis broke with all previous tradition ,
abandoning the celebration of the Maundy Thursday service in a grand basilica,
instead choosing to hold it in the Casa del Marmo prison for young offenders on
the outskirts of Rome. I often wonder what impact it had on the lives of whose
feet he washed and kissed that day. This famous man of God, revered by Roman
Catholics across the world, kneeling at their feet following the actions of his
Lord and master. Were they touched by the love, acceptance and forgiveness that comes through Christ
that day? Did they glimpse the hope of the resurrection that Easter and go onto
live differently as a result?
Being touched by the love of Jesus
through the events of Holy week can have a profound effect on our Christian
life – So don’t be reluctant and draw back, but enter into the story as fully
as you can.
Fiona Simon
Painting of the Foot Washing - Santa Maria del Mar - Barcelona, by © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/
Painting of the Foot Washing - Santa Maria del Mar - Barcelona, by © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/
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