Judas’ Feet

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”  John 13:1-11

I really didn’t want to write about Judas again; he is certainly not the hero of Holy Week.  But I can’t get past the fact that Jesus washed  Judas’ feet at the Last Supper.  I’m sure people smarter than me realized this when they considered this passage, but it “hit me upside the head” a few years ago that Jesus washed Judas’ feet.  I had never put the chronology together that Judas was dismissed from the supper after the foot-washing.  I did some googling about the topic and found quite a few people who had not noticed this detail and were amazed when they realized what Jesus did. 

I am astounded that Jesus would wash the feet of Judas.  I certainly wouldn’t have, but then, I’m not Jesus (Duh!).  Foot washing conveyed an important lesson to the disciples and us and echoed Jesus teaching:  The first shall be last Matthew 20:16).  Other verses discuss this, but it is perhaps stated most clearly in Mark 10:45:  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.  In washing the feet of Judas, Jesus showed us that we do not have the option of choosing whom to serve and not serve.  The Second Great Commandment to love your neighbor does not come with clauses and exceptions.  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” makes it even clearer.

But the cleansing that Jesus offers is more than physical cleanliness, and it is more than a lesson on servanthood.  The cleansing He offers is a cleansing from the sin that consumes us.  This cleansing comes through His sacrificial death by which he paid the penalty for my sin.  This cleansing is available to all, but we must accept the mercy and grace that God offers.  And we must make that mercy and grace known so that everyone has an opportunity to gain the cleansing.

How did Jesus feel as He washed Judas’ feet?  I cannot pretend to speak for Jesus or know His thoughts, but He was fully man and I can imagine what I would feel, what I have, in fact, felt in similar situations.  I am sure His heart hurt when He sent Judas on his way and saw him walk out the door.

Judas has left the building … with clean feet … and a filthy heart.

Jesus has left the building … having stooped to wash feet …. and with a heavy heart as He walked to Gethsemane and on to Calvary.