Ramblin' Dan

Dan Roloff is the editor of TheHighCalling.org, and his blog, Ramblin’ Dan, has a little bit of everything. At times, a theologian, philosopher, comedian, publisher, sports enthusiast, and businessman, Dan offers a transparent look at the high calling of one man’s work.

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Before we went swimming at someone’s pool as kids, we always stepped into a bucket of water to rinse the dirt and loose grass from our feet. This too was the custom of the ancients. They would supply water at the entrance to a house as a sign of hospitality. Sometimes they provided slaves to wash their guests’ feet.

Luke describes an incident of this hospitality when Jesus is at Simon’s home:

[Jesus] said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.” (7:44)

If you’ve ever walked in sandals down a dirt road, you know how the dust accumulates around your feet and ankles. After a while, you feel as though you’ve gained an extra layer of skin. Socks and shoes cover our feet and ankles in a way that provides comfort and allows them to breath. Dust is different. The covering of dust chokes our skin.

A refreshing rinse takes the dust off. It’s funny how the simple task of rinsing our feet can make us feel so much better.

This metaphor of hospitality is repeated throughout Scripture. Sometimes churches reenact the washing of the feet, or other acts of service from the Bible. Because they are not part of our culture anymore, these activities often fail to capture the essence of what Jesus was doing. The Messiah, God’s Chosen One, takes on the role frequently left for slaves.

When Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, he was performing a common expression of hospitality and delivering a powerful message, “Serve one another.” Paul used that very expression in his letter to the Galatians.

It is easy to forget the other side of the metaphor. Jesus is not only showing hospitality. He is rinsing away the everyday dirt. Consider the encounter between Jesus  and Peter in the upper room (John 13:6-10):

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.

When we wash away the dust of everyday life, we become clean again. This is the importance of daily devotion and confession. Like the woman who washed away the dirt from Jesus’ feet with her tears, we humble ourselves before Jesus. Let the dirt of the day be rinsed, so we may be clear of its choking presence.

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