[Eighty-seventh in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: At the time of Jesus, bathing was an important part of being cultured. The Romans especially prized their public baths, which were as much a part of daily life as going to the gym to work out is today. Especially when you were going to a banquet, you would visit the baths before you went. Besides this, in the tradition of the Pharisees, Jewish people would ritually wash themselves and everything they would use to serve food. Especially during Passover, when no leaven could be eaten, these rituals were strictly followed.
The problem was that you couldn’t avoid getting your feet dirty in an age when you wore sandals and walked on dirt roads. In well-to-do homes, a gentile slave would be provided to the guests to wash their feet. A disciple would do many things for his master, but foot-washing was unworthy of them. When there was no slave, you would wash your own feet.
That is why Jesus’ action was so shocking. The last one who should wash feet is the Lord. Yet, he is the one who serves us all. Because he would wash feet, so also we are called to meet every need of everyone.
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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