Washing Judas’ Feet

Last updated on: April 13, 2017 at 5:16 pm by Adam Ericksen

Washing Judas’ Feet 2017-04-13T17:16:04-05:00 Adam Ericksen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

NT Wright has a very helpful way of explaining the Atonement. He states that, “When Jesus wanted to explain to his followers what his death would mean he didn’t give them a theory, he gave them a meal on one hand and a dramatic action on the other.”

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day when we remember that meal and the dramatic action Jesus shared with his disciples. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means mandate. The mandate or commandment. Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The meal and the dramatic action reveal not only the meaning of Jesus’ death, but also the meaning of his life lived in the Spirit of God’s love. In old English, Atonement literally means “at-one-ment.” We are meant to be at one with God, other people, and all of creation. And Jesus shows us how to be at one through acts of radical love.

John 13 tells the story. Jesus and his disciples huddled together to celebrate the Passover, the politically charged celebration of the Exodus, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt. Think Independence Day on steroids. Jesus knew that his life will lead to a different kind of Exodus. It won’t lead to a violent defeat of Rome, which was the Egypt of his day. No, his Exodus was much more universal and timeless. Jesus led his disciples on an Exodus away from hate and violence into the new creation of universal love.

That love was on display during the meal and the dramatic action of Maundy Thursday. My point centers Jesus’ reaction to Judas Iscariot. According to John, Jesus knew that “The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.”

Jesus had options. He could have ratted out this scoundrel. He could have accused Judas of being possessed by the devil. His accusation would have united him and his disciples against this betrayer. The accusation would have stuck. Jesus would have been safe and the accusation against Judas would have been the glue that held the band of disciples together. That certainly would have been a dramatic action.

But that’s not what Jesus did. Instead, he stood up from the table and performed a different kind of dramatic action. He washed his disciples’ feet. Instead of uniting his disciples in hatred against Judas, he washed Judas’ feet. Jesus repeatedly told his disciples he came not to be served, but to serve. He came to serve even Judas.

But that’s not all. He also fed Judas with this holy meal.

Jesus wasn’t naïve. The story makes it clear that he knew Judas would betray him. Before the meal, he told his disciples that while their feet were now clean, not all of their hearts were clean. “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus stated, “one of you will betray me.”

Simon Peter asked who would betray him. Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Jesus then gave the bread to Judas and said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”

The bread and wine at this meal have traditionally been called the body and blood of Christ. They are spiritual nourishment for our journey. Christ gives that spiritual nourishment freely. Like God’s universal love, Christ’s body and blood are given for all – including Judas – as a sign of God’s radical grace.

But at this point, like Jesus, Simon Peter had options. The meal taught him that Judas was going to betray Jesus. Simon Peter could have united the disciples against Judas. He could have stopped Judas from betraying them. After all, to betray Jesus was also to betray the disciples, putting them all in danger.

But Simon Peter let Judas go. Why? The story doesn’t tell us. Maybe Simon Peter was moved by the fact that Jesus just washed Judas’s feet. Maybe, if just for a moment, Simon Peter knew that God calls us to respond to violence with nonviolent love and service. And maybe that is what the Atonement is all about.

Image: Flickr, Waiting For the Word, “Jesus washes the feet of his disciples,” Creative Commons License, some changes made.

Stay in the loop! Like Teaching Nonviolent Atonement on Facebook!

Previous Post

April 12, 2017

Wednesday Sermon: How to Know Who Your Neighbor Is

Next Post

April 14, 2017 On Good Friday, Abolish the Death Penalty

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement and Current Events Curriculum Faith and Families Interviews Jesus the Forgiving Victim Lent Montessori politics Reviews The Bible Explained Uncategorized Valentine's Day Wednesday Sermon Who is God?

Select a Month July 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz