John 13:4-17 records Jesus washing the feet of His apostles, which in verse 15 our Lord refers to that occasion as “an example.” The only reason to wash feet then or now is because they become dirty; however, the willingness to wash the feet of another when they are dirty demonstrates humility, which is what Jesus was teaching His apostles in John 13. The apostles were contentious with each other over who was the greatest among the followers of Jesus (Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46; 22:24), and hence, (1) no one on the occasion of John 13 had washed either his own dirty feet, (2) the dirty feet of a fellow apostle or (3) the soiled feet of the Master, Jesus Christ. Our Lord never intended Christians to wash each other’s feet as a church function, but He intended that when He washed the feet of the apostles for that activity to serve as a lesson on humility. Whether serving another person by washing dirty feet or in some other way, Christians ought to demonstrate humility rather than arrogance and haughtiness. When Bible believers elevate washing feet to a church function, they try too hard (go beyond the purpose of John 13:4-17) and miss the point of the “example” of humility (which humility may and should be demonstrated in several ways in our lives).
