Abraham, Our Lord and Foot Washing

About a year before turning 100, Abraham sits in the shade of his tent to escape the midday heat. As he rests, he looks up and sees three men standing nearby. Immediately, Abraham goes out to greet them, extending the customary hospitality to his visitors. Let’s read this account from Genesis 18 verse 3 to 5, Abraham says.

‘My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.’ They said, ‘Do as you have said.’” (Genesis 18:3-5, NKJV)

The scripture reveals that the Lord, accompanied by two angels, visited Abraham and his wife. Focus for a moment on the hospitality Abraham offered to the Lord. He asked for water to be brought so they could wash their feet. In the dusty environment of the ancient Near East, where sandals were the common footwear, washing one’s feet before sitting down to eat was a necessary custom. This practice of washing feet before sharing a meal remained a tradition over 1,800 years, continuing in the time of Jesus and the Last Passover.

Notably, throughout this long history, it remained beneath the dignity of the host to wash the guests’ feet, a task often relegated to themselves or a servant. However, within this context of Abraham offering water for foot washing, we turn to the incredible example of service set by Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John.

In the final hours before the Passover feast, Jesus knew His time had come to depart from the world. He loved His disciples deeply, and His love for them was demonstrated in an unexpected way that night. During the meal, Jesus rose, poured water into a basin, and began to wash His disciples' feet, including the feet of Judas Iscariot. He dried their feet with the towel He had wrapped around Himself (John 13:4-6).

There is no immediate comment from the disciples, but one can imagine their astonishment and confusion. They likely didn’t understand why their Lord, Master, and Teacher would humble Himself in such a way. It wasn’t until Jesus reached Peter that the astonishment was vocalized. Peter, in shock, asked, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” (John 13:6). Jesus responded that Peter wouldn’t understand the significance at that moment but would later (John 13:7). Still struggling to grasp the meaning, Peter insisted, “You shall never wash my feet!” (John 13:8). Jesus explained that unless He washed Peter's feet, Peter would have no part in Him.

After Jesus washed all twelve disciples' feet, He sat down and explained the deeper meaning of this act of service: 

“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, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’” (John 13:12-17, NKJV)

Jesus, their Lord and Teacher, washed their feet as an example of humble service. He went on to explain that they would be blessed if they followed His example. This act wasn’t just a gesture of kindness; it was a powerful teaching about the kind of love He expected them to show one another.

Later that evening, Jesus gave them a new commandment:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, NKJV)

This commandment went beyond the Old Testament command to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus instructed His disciples to love as He had loved them, demonstrating that love through humble service, such as washing their feet. The disciples witnessed this profound demonstration of love in real time, and it became a model for them to follow, not just that night, but every day of their lives.

The foot washing exemplified the sacrificial, humble love Jesus called His followers to adopt. It is a powerful reminder of the kind of love that Christ’s disciples are to cultivate—not just in special moments, but as a fundamental part of their character, reflecting Christ's love in all they do.

Let’s continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we approach Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. 

Abraham certainly understood the Lord's graciousness, but He will be in awe when he learns what His Lord and our Lord did on that Passover night.

Have a peaceful and spiritually focused Sabbath!