Today is Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.
It was a simple act that said so much about service, humility, love and much more besides.
So in the spirit of that, prepare to get wet.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:7 NIV
Like anything that happens every year, it’s easy to take the events of Maundy Thursday for granted. Year after year in our churches, we re-enact Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet.
Sometimes this is done literally by washing each other’s feet in a service. Sometimes Christians go out in their local high street and offer free shoe-shining. While this can be appreciated – it is, after all, a very public act of service and offers a chance to stop and chat to strangers on the street – it is not a gift everyone can accept, especially if they are wearing trainers rather than leather shoes.
Because of our familiarity with the story, it’s easy to forget quite how that first foot-washing must have felt. The disciples had walked through dusty streets to reach the Upper Room. Their feet were dirty, hot, sweaty. Smelly perhaps. And yet Jesus knelt before them and gently took their feet in his hands.
If you’ve ever had your feet washed, you’ll know it’s a disturbingly intimate event. One thing, perhaps, to have your feet washed by a servant – but by Jesus? No wonder Peter protested and tried to refuse the gift he was offering.
At one level, this was simply an act of love: a leader humbly serving his people with his head bowed. At another, the action is ripe with symbolism. By washing their feet, Jesus was preparing them for that deeper, life-changing washing away of sins. You are washed clean; you are forgiven.
This year, why not try to transform your community by washing? Have a look at www.washday.org for ideas on how to make a difference by an act of washing in the service of others.
Today's blog was written by Sarah Meyrick from Diocese of Oxford.
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