Foot washing?

[soldier of light]

Jesus seems to say that a clean body is one who Christ has cleansed from sin. Note that Judas wasn't clean. Jesus is talking about his sin not his hygiene. So why the foot washing? It must be spiritual as well? What does it represent? Or is it just a simple act of servitude?

 

[CLEEB]

Jesus seems to say that a clean body is one who Christ has cleansed from sin. Note that Judas wasn't clean. Jesus is talking about his sin not his hygiene. So why the foot washing? It must be spiritual as well? What does it represent? Or is it just a simple act of servitude?

Jesus said, let him who is greatest among you be the servant of all. Yes, Jesus was indeed demonstrated this spiritual principle. After the foot washing he said, John 13:14 Carnal minds take this literally but Jesus is giving an example of love and service to others. It was common practice in those times to wash the feet of a guest in your house to show hospitality and be a gracious host since traveling in sandals would cause the feet to be dusty and dirty. This is not a practice today. Today we may offer food or drink and a comfortable chair to sit in. It is showing love and service to others. Some churches practice foot washing without this understanding and since it is not a common practice today makes people feel uncomfortable. They have no understanding.

 

[Dan Perez]

Jesus said, let him who is greatest among you be the servant of all. Yes, Jesus was indeed demonstrated this spiritual principle. After the foot washing he said, John 13:14 Carnal minds take this literally but Jesus is giving an example of love and service to others. It was common practice in those times to wash the feet of a guest in your house to show hospitality and be a gracious host since traveling in sandals would cause the feet to be dusty and dirty. This is not a practice today. Today we may offer food or drink and a comfortable chair to sit in. It is showing love and service to others. Some churches practice foot washing without this understanding and since it is not a common practice today makes people feel uncomfortable. They have no understanding.

And why did Jesus wash the disciple feet. ?

In EX 30:19 AARON. and sons always had to wash HANDS and FEET

And verse 20 would kill them. IF they did not WASH HANDS and Feet

Why , because the in. Rev 1:6 the 12 apostles will sit on 12 thrones JUDGING ISRAWL

dan p

 

[CLEEB]

And why did Jesus wash the disciple feet. ?

In EX 30:19 AARON. and sons always had to wash HANDS and FEET

And verse 20 would kill them. IF they did not WASH HANDS and Feet

Why , because the in. Rev 1:6 the 12 apostles will sit on 12 thrones JUDGING ISRAWL

dan p

Jesus was not of the priesthood of Aaron / Levitical but of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:7 You attempt to connect what Jesus did with the Levitical system will not apply. If Jesus was on Earth today he would not be a priest. Hebrews 8:4 Jesus could not even be a priest under the law because he came from Judah not Levi. You have your wires crossed and your comment has short circuited.

 

[Dan Perez]

Jesus was not of the priesthood of Aaron / Levitical but of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:7 You attempt to connect what Jesus did with the Levitical system will not apply. If Jesus was on Earth today he would not be a priest. Hebrews 8:4 Jesus could not even be a priest under the law because he came from Judah not Levi. You have your wires crossed and your comment has short circuited.

Maybe your wires. are not there. ??

Read Heb 5:6-14 , PLEASE as I have to go as I am at work !!

Christ will be a HIGH . PRIEST DURING THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

dan p

 

[Bob Crowley]

The foot washing was an act of service. God, in the form of God the Son, stooped down and washed the dusty feet of His disciples.

At Easter Catholic priests do the same thing on Holy Thursday, in a ritual enactment of Christ's service.

 

[Lost4words]

They walk right past my dirty paws at that mass!

 

[Bob Crowley]

You need to sit and hold your paws up first. There's no point in running up and down the aisles barking your head off and hoping they'll notice.

 

[The Liturgist]

In the Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and I think the Coptic Orthodox churches, on Great and Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), just before the vespers for Great and Holy Friday, the bishop, who is often very elderly, will wash the feet of the boys who are typically tonsured as Psaltis or in some cases readers, usually ages 8-12, which is a tradition beautiful to see, the greatest serving the least, in clear physical discomfort (it is not easy to ask a 75 year old bishop to get on his knees to do that); of course the act is at present symbolic because you can darn well bet the parents have ensured the feet of those youths are quite clean, although historically, this would not have been the case due to the poverty of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the desert terrain, and in many cases, the youth not having shoes or at best having sandals, due, once again, to reasons of poverty, so the act was more than symbolic given that it would have been impossible for anyone to get to the church without some degree of dust or dirt, especially the youths.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Everybody who went outside to walk on the filthy streets and roads washed their feet when they returned home. If there were slaves or servants the job was done by the lowest servant. It was a job that everyone wanted to avoid if at all possible.

 

[CLEEB]

H

Everybody who went outside to walk on the filthy streets and roads washed their feet when they returned home. If there were slaves or servants the job was done by the lowest servant. It was a job that everyone wanted to avoid if at all possible.

He that is the greatest among you is the servant of all. What Jesus did by washing the feet of the disciples was demonstrating this very thing but ignorant people have turned into a repetitive ritual that is meaningless.

 

[bbbbbbb]

H

He that is the greatest among you is the servant of all. What Jesus did by washing the feet of the disciples was demonstrating this very thing but ignorant people have turned into a repetitive ritual that is meaningless.

I agree completely. Thank you!

 

[DragonFox91]

That's who he is. He loves even his enemies. He blesses those who curse & betray him.

 

[The Liturgist]

I agree completely. Thank you!

I don’t think the liturgical practice in the Oriental Orthodox churches is meaningless at all. It requires humility on the part of the bishop; pride is toxic to bishops and monastics, and most of our bishops are also monastics. The function of the liturgy is to demonstrate the greatest serving the least to the congregation, to inspire piety in the youths whose feet are washed (also historically, in churches in the deserts of Syria, Iraq and Egypt and the beautiful but rugged countryside of Armenia and Lebanon, to relieve real discomfort in preparation for Pascha), and to remind the bishop of his role by forcing him to humble himself as Christ did.

The Eastern Orthodox version is less moving in my personal opinion, but still meaningful. This is one of those cases where the OO managed to get an edge on us liturgically (another being the lovely variable fractions of the Coptic Rite, the colorful vesture of the Syriac Orthodox Rite and, theoretically, the diversity of West Syriac anaphorae, and also the longer Coptic and Ethiopian liturgies, which maintain superb quality despite an increase in quantity).

Also historically Western Christians would give alms on Maundy Thursday in lieu of foot washing, which would not have at the time been meaningless.

However those restorationist churches in which everyone washes everyone else’s feet quarterly before the Eucharist has been celebrated have I think overdone it.