THE HOLY BIBLE

“Merciful Father, as you have sent the Holy Spirit on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to write all that You wished and wanted, we pray You, send the same Holy Spirit on us, so that we may understand, appreciate Your Word, and make it our plan of life. This we ask for the merits of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

28  …. “Jesus got up from supper and laid aside His garment, and having taken a towel He girded Himself. After that He put water into a basin and began to wash the feet of His disciples, and to wipe them with a towel.” John 13,  4- 5:

After the introductory greetings of kissing and bowing, the Eastern guest is offered water to wash his feet in a basin. They never wore shoes, as we know them, at least. The fact that they wore sandals necessitated the washing of feet. Once inside the room or tent, they had to take off their sandals to step onto the rug or mat, with their feet folded under them. So their feet had to be clean.

They believed that the sole of the shoe or sandal led to defilement, especially on entering sacred places. Maybe the recall what God asked Moses to do in Exodus 3,5:

“Take off your shoes from your feet because the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Now let’s go back to what Jesus did during the Last Supper according to John. Jesus took over the work of the slave, because the washing of the guests’ feet was the slave’s duty. He washed the feet of His disciples, a service that none of them had ever offered to perform. In fact we do remember Peter’s reaction to the Master’s action. Peter protested, why should the Master humble Himself, degrade Himself to do such a menial task …. normally done by slaves.

Another point, instance which we tend to take so much forgranted…the Washing of the feet by Jesus. On Maundy Thursday this rite of the Washing is done in many churches. I remember a dear friend of mine, a holy person. He was a Franciscan Friar who happened to be on a visit at the Vatican on Maundy Thursday. He was chosen to be one of the twelve religious representing the Apostles, for the Washing of the feet rite.

You can imagine the pride, satisfaction and smile on his face…God rest his soul…showing me photos of Pope John Paul washing his feet. “O boy, what an honour, the Pope washing your feet. I envy you.” I remarked, but I instantly added: “Yes, you were very fortunate, though you are a priest. But imagine how fortunate were those fisherman, with rough, clumsy feet that have experienced smelly seaweed and sharp rocks, being washed by God Himself.”

God, Jesus stooped so much to teach us a lesson in Humility. Do we ever stop to think about these small, insignificant though they seem, instances in the Life of Jesus?

This is the beauty, the wisdom of the Holy Bible. Jesus, being a Jew, observed all the customs and rites of all the other Jews, yet in the process He gave them a new significance, new dimension, a spiritual meaning.  ‘Yes. I know that I am your Master, yet, I am, serving you, and that is what I would like each and every one of you to do. You have to be of service to each other.’

You call me Master, and right you are that is what I am, yet I offered my service to teach you how to behave towards each other. The greatest amongst you must be the least. God, will then exalt the lowly. That should be the Trade Mark of every Christian.

Christ followed this philosophy to the last word, it was not just words or lip service, He lived by what He believed. Even His death on the Cross was proof of what He had taught and preached about. The proof was in His Passion and Death….and Resurrection.  /29