So You Washed My Feet…

but what did you do with my Holy Kiss?

Footwashing & Communion are New Testament ordinances we have to follow but greeting one another with a holy kiss is not.

I’m not sure what to do with this one. I personally think that Jesus was simply wanting his disciples to remember his sacrifice and to humbly serve each other. Washing feet was a common biblical practice—they didn’t have cars and they walked everywhere—and it was something the servants did for you.

In today’s world, servitude and humility in serving can take on different practices. Today, I would be more embarrassed to have Jesus scrub my toilet than for Him to wash my feet. And to me, washing someone’s feet in the footwashing service isn’t as big a deal as going over to their house and helping them clean, or scrubbing the toilets at the church building, or allowing someone to come help do my dirty laundry. To me, it’s more of a sacrifice of love and humility to perform or receive THOSE serving tasks than to wash someone’s feet.

However, Jesus DID say “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.” (John 13:14) So again, it’s one of those things that I wonder if we’re supposed to take it literally or just simply in theory.

This goes with communion as well, He said “this do in remembrance of me” but was He literally saying that we have to eat unleavened bread and drink grape juice a couple of times a year? If so, then why don’t we observe the rest of the Passover then since that is what they were originally gathering for? Or was He meaning that when you eat, to remember His sacrifice for us and thank Him for our food? I’m just not sure I quite get it.

Especially since, IF we’re supposed to take the NT ordinances literally, then that totally kills the whole "handshake greeting" for your brother’s and sisters in Christ. 2 Corinthians 13:12 is pretty plain on that one: Greet one another with an holy kiss. And you’ll notice the writer didn’t say only brothers to brothers and sisters to sisters. ONE ANOTHER, PEOPLE! And those church folks are all about no HUGGING opposite genders!! Actually, we’re supposed to be KISSING them. ;o)

Hmmmm.