Footwashing & handwashing

9th April 2020

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Here’s the reading and reflection from today’s communion service…

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.

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

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’

Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’

‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’

Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’

‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’

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.’ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

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. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

That’s the reading which is usually read at services on Maundy Thursday evening. A few years ago in the church we were part of in Codsall, my colleague Priscilla suggested that we did what many other churches did, and included actual footwashing in the service. So for a few years we did that – people volunteered to sit at the end of the row and take off their shoes and socks at the appropriate time, and Priscilla or I would come round and wash their feet – or foot…

And it was a bit undignified, and sometimes funny, but also very meaningful. Then a few years later, we thought again. Unlike in the days of Jesus, with people walking barefoot or in sandals, footwashing like this isn’t a common practice. But washing our hands is. So we changed what we did, and offered people the chance to come up and have their hands gently washed. And to my surprise everyone came up.

Again, it was very meaningful I think, very tender – very intimate – a real moment of connection – very different from the sort of handwashing we’ve all been so much recently – all about cleansing ourselves from the touch of others, and keeping ourselves separate.

In the story we’ve heard how Peter struggles to accept what Jesus is doing. It feels wrong – Jesus shouldn’t be ministering to him in this way, it’s humiliating – and maybe it’s too intimate for him. He protests. But Jesus insists – ‘Unless I was you, you have no part in me.’ I imagine Jesus eyes, locked with Peter’s, willing him to understand. He must allo Jesus to touch his feet, no doubt scarred and pretty smelly. He must accept the gentle caress of his cleansing – this is necessary.

John puts this story into his account of the Last Supper instead of the story about Jesus sharing bread and wine. It’s as if he is saying ‘This is also communion’ – letting yourself be ministered to by Jesus. Allow it. Accept it.

In one of his Midday Moments Brian Draper suggests that we can use our own handwashing as a way of connecting with Jesus. He suggests that as we wash our hands we pray ‘Wash me clean, Lord.’ And then we hold our hands like this – and remembering all that we are feeling and going through, we say ‘I am in your hands, Lord.’ And finally we hold up our hands in self-offering, responding to the call of Jesus to follow his example; ‘Help me be your hands, Lord.’

Wash me clean, Lord.

I am in your hands, Lord.

Help me be your hands, Lord.

Sometimes we need new symbols and actions to help us connect. Today, whether or not we had our feet and hands washed, many of us would have gathered around the Lord’s table to share bread and wine with each other. As things are, even though we can be together in this way, we can’t do that. The Church has been helping us to think about a different sort of communion – spiritual communion. Most of us cannot receive communion in the usual way, but we can all hear again the story of our salvation, and make our own deep connection with our Lord as bread and wine are blessed. And we can open our hearts to receive him, trusting that he will give himself to us.

We are invited to share a deep and intimate communion of the heart. And as we go on from this service today, we are invited to continue that close companionship with our Lord, sharing again in deeply as we can in the story of his complete selfgiving – his betrayal, his breakdown in the garden, his arrest, abandonment, abuse, torture, unjust trial, humiliation and agonising death. In all of this he is saying to us – this is how close I am to you, always, because I love you – this is how much I share in all that you are going through, now…

And maybe we can hear him asking us – will you let me wash you – will you let me feed you – will you let me be this close to you – will you share in the deep communion of my love?

Wash us clean, Lord. Help us open ourselves – every part of ourselves – to the gentle ministry of your grace and healing…

We are in your hands, Lord. We bring to you those who are most closely in our hearts – those we love and care for, and those we know are in hard places of pain at the moment – those who are not well, with Covid 19 or in other ways, those who are struggling with mental health issues at the moment – those who are mourning, and we remember those who have died… Help us to trust in your closeness to us now…

Help us be your hands, Lord. We pray for those who are in different ways on the front line, whether in the NHS or in care homes, supporting people as clergy or as funeral directors, caring for loved ones at home or from a distance – and we pray Lord that we may be so close to you that your compassion and care may reach out through us….