John 13: 1 20 Jesus Washes The Disciples’ Feet

Target year level: Year Ten

Scripture text

Introduction

John’s gospel is often called ‘the fourth gospel’ to distinguish it from the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. Authorship is traditionally attributed to John ‘the beloved disciple’, but the final version of the text was probably the work of several editors. The other texts in the Christian Scriptures which are attributed to John - the three letters and the book of Revelation - are unlikely to have been written by the author of the fourth gospel. The gospel was probably written in the last decade of the first century CE – later than the other gospels.

The gospel of John is commonly divided into four parts: 1. Prologue (1:1-18); 2. Book of Signs (1:19-12:50); 3. Book of Glory (13:1-20:31); and 4. Epilogue (21:1-25). The language of the gospel is sophisticated, but many of the symbols used are drawn from everyday life, for example, life, light, bread, water, shepherd, door and way.

There are considerable differences between John and the synoptic gospels. There are no infancy or baptism narratives and there is no mention of the institution of the Eucharist in John’s account of the Last Supper. Further, in the synoptics the true identity of Jesus as Messiah is revealed to the disciples over time and only fully disclosed towards the end of the narratives; but in John, the disciples know that Jesus is the Messiah from the outset. Also, the Kingdom is not the central focus of Jesus’ teaching in John as it is in the synoptics. Rather it is Jesus himself who is the focus. This is evident from the mystical prologue in which Jesus is identified as pre-existent and the incarnate Word of God. Here we can see the framework of an incarnational Christology emerging.

In the second part of the gospel - the Book of Signs - John gives evidence about the true identity of Jesus in the form of signs, which are seen and heard. The verbs ‘see’ and ‘hear’ are strongly associated with ‘believe’ for John.

The central theme of John’s theology is life, and Jesus is the source of life. It is Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, who draws together heaven and earth in order that believers may share in the life of God and in the glory that comes with eternal life.

For more information about the Gospel of John see the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to John.

World behind the text

Not much is known of the Johannine community but it is thought to have been situated in Ephesus (Seljuk in modern Turkey). In Early Christian times, Ephesus was the fourth largest sea port in the Roman Empire. It was a prosperous city and an influential centre of Christianity for many centuries after the Gospel of John was written.

It is not likely that the membership of the Johannine community was actually Jewish: it was probably a mixed group of those with Jewish and those with Gentile heritage. There may have been tensions between the two groups: the former favouring the humanity of Jesus and the latter his divinity. Some scholars think that the book may have been written to resolve these tensions.

John’s gospel is notable for its sympathetic portrayal of women, who play prominent and significant roles as disciples and witnesses in the text. This is particularly evident in the case of the Samaritan woman who had an extraordinary and revelatory conversation with Jesus (4:4-42) and in the story of the women who were the first witnesses to the resurrection (20:11-18). These instances indicate a mutual relationship in discipleship and ministry between women and men, which may have existed in the Johannine community.

World of the text

This passage is part of John’s account of the Last Supper, which is in the third section of the gospel – the Book of Glory. There are a number of interesting comparisons that can be drawn with the same events in the Synoptic gospels. For a start, the timing is different: in the Synoptics, the Last Supper is a Passover event, but in John it takes place on the night before the Passover. Where John describes the washing of the disciples’ feet, the synoptics describe the institution of the eucharist, of which there is no mention in the fourth gospel.

The Johannine community understood foot washing as a sign of hospitality: the household servant or slave would wash the feet of a guest. Here, however, the washing is undertaken by the host and this reversal changes the meaning of the action.

The foot washing episode has three parts: Jesus’ action (vv 1-5) and two interpretations (vv 6-11, 12-20). The first interpretation uses the metaphor of cleansing to indicate salvation: Jesus is the one who was sent by the Father to save the world from sin. John uses the literary device of Peter’s misunderstanding to prompt an explanation of the action by Jesus. When he says that not all the disciples will be clean, he is referring to the betrayal by Judas.

The second interpretation is about selfless service and the link to hospitality is maintained: Jesus puts his status as ‘Lord and teacher’ (v 14) aside in order to serve others. Here John gives the reader a foretaste of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, which is the fullest expression of service.

World in front of the text

In John’s account of the Last Supper, the connection between eucharist, hospitality and service is made clear when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples during the meal. That is why this story is read every year at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. At that liturgy, the gospel reading is followed by a foot washing ritual, which prompts the members of the assembly to reflect on their calling to Christian discipleship. Hospitality and service, that is, welcome and selfless care for others, are the eucharistic principles which underpin discipleship.

It is not easy to follow the example of Jesus by putting others first and yet that is what we, as Christians, are called to do. When we share eucharist together, we are nourished. However, this meal is not so much for our benefit as it is to strengthen us for discipleship in the world.