‘The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the inferiors’ feet—that is, being willing to do those things that seem trivial in human estimation but count as everything to God’, said Oswald Chambers, a Christian thinker.
Washing the feet raises the lowly: From the beginning of his ministry Jesus wanted the lowly things of the world to be elevated. He praised the poor, those weeping, those who suffer injustice and others who are in the fringes of society. He called them ‘Blessed’. He began to wash his disciples’ feet as if his preaching was not enough or they had not been accepted or put into practice. After washing the dirty feet of the disciples he asked them frankly, “How you understand what I have done?” Their reply was mere silence and Jesus added his familiar words, “Go and do likewise.”
Through washing of the feet, what is lowly is raised high; what is despised is elevated; and finally brotherhood is restored.
Washing the feet restores love: When love is misunderstood or misplaced, injustice and inequality rises high. By washing the feet of his disciples he strengthens his bonds of love and closeness with them. Perhaps, they calling him Lord and Master created a sense of equality and gap, now washing their feet brought them closer to him and put them at bars with him and one another. Our relationships between—husband and wife, mother-in-law with daughter-in-law, teacher-student, parents and children, employer-employee are all in grades of inequality.
Those in “higher” position were those “below” them, not just listen to them, but obey them. This blinds love. We all need to strip down our over-coats of ego and put on the apron of humility to stoop down to hold the feet of our subordinates and wash them. Now the dirt of pride is removed, love begins to shine.
Washing the feet is leadership of service: Washing of the feet confused the disciples rather than taught them a lesson. Looking at their surprised faces, Jesus was forced to ask them, “Do you understand what I have done?” And he admonished them to wash each other’s feet; this begins the Christian charity and service.
Washing of the feet is also a mark of brotherhood, servanthood, union and comradeship. Peter’s protest to be washed by the Master and Jesus’ own insistence at the cost of rejection of friendship and partnership taught Peter and now teaches us the value and necessity of friendship and a sense of partnership in our relationships and work for success.
True partnership, friendship and comradeship is possible only when prejudice, partiality and all kinds of antagonism are removed. Washing of the feet is a prerequisite for every kind of success in all kinds of human settings—be it family, workplace, relationships and governance.
Let us remember that if our posture is that of washing dirty feet of others, then we are prevented from looking down on others and instead, look up to them. Love is not a feeling in our chest, but bending down to the feet of others and washing them.
Fr. Lazar Arasu SDB
Priest and School Administrator.
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