Glory to the Lord. We thank God that He gave life, that He kept us, that He protected us, that we are before Him by His mercy. Today we exist, we live. May the Lord be glorified, dear sisters and brothers.
With God’s help, I would like to continue speaking about what the meaning of foot washing is. When we look at that ceremony of foot washing outwardly, the first thought that comes is that Jesus simply left us an example of humility: that just as the Lord and Teacher washed our feet, we also should wash one another’s feet.
And that idea truly is there. During communion, those who participate in communion know that before receiving the Lord’s blood and body, we wash one another’s feet — the brothers wash the brothers’ feet, and the sisters wash the sisters’ feet. And in that foot washing there is the humility of Christ, the humility of the cross. It is not human humility, but specifically the humility of Christ crucified.
Together with that, we also spoke about how, by humbling Himself and cleansing with that water, this was a mystery: that God cleanses us with the water of His Word, cleanses us with His holy blood, cleanses us by His Holy Spirit, and the Father cleanses us. Through that water, God shows this mystery: that we continually need cleansing. And those who are already clean, the Father cleanses even more, and then sends them so that they may bear fruit. They bear fruit, come back, and the Father cleanses them again so that they may bear even more fruit.
The Church as a Sent Body
Today I want us to focus on the thought that the church is sent. In the fourth century, when the universal church gathered — the bishops and elders of the churches of the whole world — we know that they set forth a particular confession: one God, one Father, one Son, the Holy Spirit. And there they wrote that we believe in one holy, universal, and apostolic church.
And apostle means one who is sent. In other words, all the bishops and elders presented the church as sent into the world. And we are the sent ones. But what does that sending have to do with foot washing, dear sisters and brothers?
Jesus knew that He had come from the Father to the earth. He came, He did the work that had to be done, and He already knew that His time was near, that He had to return to His Father. Knowing all these great things, He washed His disciples’ feet. And there Peter does not want Jesus to wash him. Jesus explains certain things, but we see that He washes the feet of all the disciples, and then He rises and asks, “Do you know what I have done to you?”
“So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, you also should do. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is the one sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’”
John 13:12-17
If Jesus had stopped at these words and said nothing else afterward, we would say that Jesus is giving an example. But what does this thought have to do with foot washing? We know that this was already Jesus’ last evening with His disciples, and He had called His closest disciples because He wanted to teach them something. These disciples had left everything for Jesus, and soon their Lord would be crucified and die. And Jesus did not want His disciples to become weak in this situation. They had work to do.
The Difficulties of Being Sent into the World
Jesus continues:
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”
Through that foot washing, Jesus cleansed and sanctified His disciples as a mystery, preparing them because He would send them into the world. And the church — we, dear sisters and brothers — is sent by God into the world. But it is not so easy to be sent into the world. Each one of us has afflictions and difficulties.
If I had been one of those disciples, knowing what I know now, I would say, “Jesus, are You sending us alone?” But Jesus, knowing the hearts of the disciples, said, “I will not leave you orphans.” And in sending the church — before sending the church — Jesus sends Another. He says, “I will ask My Father, and He will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, into you. He will be with you, He will be in you.”
We see that God does not leave us alone in this service. Dear sisters and brothers, by washing one another’s feet, we perform that mystery of Jesus Christ: that by the Spirit of God, we prepare one another’s feet so that we may be sent into the world, to preach the gospel of peace.
The Importance of the Holy Spirit and Peace in the Family
We are sent, dear sisters and brothers, and there will be afflictions and difficulties. And I will say that the most difficult thing in this life is the problems inside the family. There are many weaknesses and shortcomings in our families. But let us remember that there is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. We must call the Holy Spirit into our families as well, so that the Holy Spirit may enter into the affairs of our families, and so that there may be mercy in our families.
You know, the church is made up of families. When our families are weak, the church becomes weak, and the opposite is also true. These two work together.
Without peace, dear sisters and brothers, we cannot work in the world and be salt and light. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace. If we do not have peace with one another, we cannot wash one another’s feet. When I wash your feet, in the love of God I am saying, “Father, cleanse and sanctify my brother. Prepare my brother so that he may go and preach the gospel of peace.”
But if there is no peace in me, if I kneel before my brother and I hate my brother and cannot bear him, will that washing be of benefit, dear sisters and brothers? When we love one another, when we love one another as the Word of God commands us, then the world will know that we are disciples of Jesus.
And I would like to read Jesus’ final words from chapter 17:
“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
In other words, that unity which the church has with one another — they are one with Christ. And the Holy Spirit had to unite them. And therefore, dear sisters and brothers, we are sent. The church is one, holy, universal, and apostolic.
Closing Prayer
Let us stand and pray, dear sisters and brothers.
Good and merciful Father God, we give glory and thanks. We thank You and glorify You that You forgave us, cleansed us, sanctified us, and gave us work in this world. You sent the church into the world to be salt and light, Lord God. Help us to be salt and light. Help us to love one another as You loved us. Until today we have fallen short in this, we have become weak, and we are guilty in this, Lord God.
Send Your Spirit of love; let Him fill our hearts with Your love, Lord God. We ask You, send Your Spirit into this church, so that He may work upon our hearts, our minds, and our bodies. Help us to forgive one another. Help us to be patient with one another. We give glory, give thanks, are grateful, and glorify Your great and precious name. And we prayed all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
