Or so I thought, until that night, the very night they came for him -- the night that our so-called friend and brother apostle turned him over to the authorities.

As I think back on it now, like I have for so many years since it happened, it occurs to me that somehow he must have known that his time among us was coming to an end. Somehow, in some way he must have known that he was probably going to be killed. Honestly, we knew a little of what had been going on, I mean, we had heard some things. Some of us had been approached individually with an unbelievable offer of a payment for information to help arrest him.

It would happen when one of us would go out alone on some errand. A stranger would sidle up beside you and in soft tones make an offer for a simple favor. "Tell us where and when he'll be away from the crowds and we'll make it worth your while," they would say, or something similar.

Everyone of us had turned these offers down by ignoring them, acting as if we didn't hear them, or just running away, like I did when they asked me. Well, at least we thought every one had turned them down. Apparently one of us found the price was right -- only we didn't know it then, at the meal that night. We were just enjoying ourselves and our time with the Teacher -- rarely did we get such a fine evening meal alone with him.

Anyway, as I said, during supper he got up, and took off his outer cloak, and tied this huge, long towel around his waist. He then proceeded to move around the table and wash our feet in a basin that he had filled with water. I'm telling you, not one of us knew what to say -- we were in shock, and disbelief.

I distinctly remember what happened next; let me read it for you. "He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'" We could always count on Peter to say what we were thinking -- Peter never left too many of his thoughts unexpressed.

But we were all stunned at what was happening -- Peter, at least had the courage to say it out loud.

I mean think of it -- here was the Messiah, God's chosen One to save his people, kneeling in front of us and doing the work of the lowest servant or a slave, cleaning our filthy feet. It was scandalous!

After that entry into Jerusalem, we figured -- no, we knew -- we had arrived. God's time was fulfilled -- deliverance from oppression was at hand. Behold the deliverer -- Jesus of Nazareth! The crowds had gone wild for him, for they heard of his great deeds, they remembered his cleansing the temple of the buyers and sellers -- which lasted for a whole afternoon, by the way.

They had seen his marvelous deeds, and had heard of the raising of Lazarus -- that news traveled fast, I can tell you. Everything pointed to him being the one who would deliver us from our bondage and shame. And now, he washes our feet? But I digress; back to Peter's refusal.

"Jesus answered, 'You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' Peter said to him, 'You will never wash my feet.'"

Really, what kind of Messiah is that? What kind of King acts like a slave? This is what was behind Peter's honest refusal -- Peter recognized the inequity. Peter saw it as unbecoming for the Messiah to act that way -- we all did. You would have, too, had you been there.

While everyone looked at Peter "Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.'" Now that got our attention. After all we had been through, we certainly did not want to get left out now, just as the final deliverance was about to happen.

Obviously, we did not understand what was happening, neither did Peter, and it was painful to see him think out loud like that, don't just stop with my feet, but wash my hands and head, as well.

Jesus had so much patience with us, because in those days we really didn't understand much of what he was saying.

Nowadays, when I share these stories with others, I try to remind them that it is all right if they don't get it right away, or ever in some cases. To insist on our total understanding of all things wasn't why Jesus came to us from the Father. Why he came to us was to teach us to wash each other's feet. Now allow me to explain that last statement.

I remember this vividly. After he finished washing all of our feet, and not washing Peter from head to toe, he put back on his robe and resumed his seat at the table. "Do you know what I have done to you?" he asked us. Nobody said a word -- he had a finally gained our total attention.

He continued, "You call me teacher and Lord -- and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set an example, that you should also do as I have done to you."

What we realized as he went around the room washing our dirty, disgusting feet, was that he loved us. I mean, he loved us no matter what; no matter how we came to him; no matter what we did wrong or stepped in, what we thought we understood or failed to understand -- none of that mattered to him then. He took our feet in his hands and served us. He performed a most hospitable act that made us feel welcome, that made us feel comfortable at that table.

As he washed our feet, we all felt our unworthiness washed away along with the dust and grime that had attached itself to our heels and soles. He loved us enough to touch us, to affirm and accept us, even while he met a real need that each of us had.

It was the most loving thing I had ever experienced by anyone, and I will never forget it. Who could forget such love demonstrated so freely?

This is what he wanted us to show us how to do: how to truly love another person. You begin by seeing them as lovable because the Father loves them, you affirm them through touch, through human contact, and you seek to meet a real need that they have, in the spirit of a servant, in the spirit of one whose life is to serve others. When we do this, we imitate him, and when we imitate him, we bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

The Lord called it his "new commandment," that we love one another, as he loved us. That is what he meant by washing our feet, and by asking us to wash each other's feet.

Ultimately, the foot -- washing episode in that room is an unrepeatable action. If we were to simply do that over and over again, and nothing else, we will have missed his point. He doesn't want us to just feel humble through the action of washing each other's feet.

But he does want us to wash each other's feet by loving one another, by giving life affirming touch, by meeting real needs, by doing something useful for another person and doing it with the heart and spirit of a servant. That kind of loving action can be repeated as often as possible, and when we repeat it, we make his presence known and felt all over again. And that is ultimately what will deliver us from our oppression and shame.

How do I remember these things so well? Well, I've written them down. I'm getting old, and I don't wish for these things to be forgotten. So I'm passing them on to you.

There are other books that tell many of the things that Jesus did, too. But none of them talk about when he washed our feet. I don't know why, because I always felt that was one of the most powerful ways I ever learned to love. I think I'll keep it in. I think that's what he would have wanted; that and the Lazarus bit.

"For these were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that by believing you might have life in his name."

The Rev'd Timothy M. Dombek
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
301 Piney Mountain Road
Greenville, SC 29609 -- 3035
(864) 244 -- 6358
stjamesrector@mindspring.com

Copyright © 2002 Timothy M. Dombek All Rights Reserved.