The event in tonight’s Gospel reading exemplifies a central theme of John’s Gospel.  The Prologue of the Gospel says that Jesus was born to his own kin and People, but his own People rejected him. (Jn 1:11) In tonight’s Gospel reading, the Twelve Apostles are presented as a microcosm of those who rejected Jesus. 

Judas the betrayer handed Jesus over to an unjust death, but he wasn’t the only one guilty of betrayal.  During Jesus’s trial, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus.  At the crucifixion, the remaining ten fled and hid in fear.  Only “the beloved disciple” and some women in the group remained faithful to Jesus to the end. 

Because of the betrayals by the twelve apostles, the church congregation founded by “the beloved disciple” was never able completely to trust the congregations the apostles founded.  The reason for their distrust is easy to understand; if the apostles’ faith was so weak that they would betray Jesus to save themselves, then their apostolic church congregations were based on the weak faith of betrayers. 

The congregation of “the beloved disciple” recognized the gravity of the dilemma they faced.  On the one hand, the Twelve had betrayed Jesus for selfish reasons; on the other hand, the Eleven who repented of their betrayal spent their lives fulfilling his command to evangelize.  The foot-washing story in tonight’s Gospel illustrates how the congregation of “the beloved disciple” reconciled themselves to the conflicted actions of the Eleven. 

Jesus performed a prophetic sign that offered his disciples an anticipatory explanation of his impending death.  He died an unjust death, a sacrifice by the innocent for the sake of the guilty, as an expression of his unwavering loyalty to God.  The prophetic sign of washing the feet of the disciples speaks clearly about Jesus’ faith and his vocation. 

Foot-washing was a menial task of hospitality assigned to a household servant by those hosting a dinner party.  Jesus accepted the humiliating role of a servant to reveal how his sacrificial death would fulfill God’s will to redeem the world.  Peter’s reluctance to accept this act of service by Jesus was emblematic of his lack of faith and understanding.  Jesus’ perseverance was emblematic of his dedication to God’s will, and the inclusion of this story in the Gospel was emblematic of the imitation of Jesus’ perseverance practiced by the congregation of “the beloved disciple.” 

The congregation of “the beloved disciple” didn’t trust the apostles and their church congregations and, at the same time, the congregation of the beloved couldn’t turn their backs on their weaker brothers and sisters.  Their compromise was to imitate the humility of Jesus and serve as examples of unwavering faith for their colleagues of weak faith.  In doing so, they give us a way to serve both non-believers and those who have fallen away from faith. 

John’s Gospel uses the reference “world” in two somewhat distinct ways.  In some instances, “the world” is the subject of God’s remedy for the sin of faithlessness.  In other instances, “the world” is that element of Creation that rejected Jesus’ proclamation of the divine remedy.  In all instances, however, “the world” represents fallen creatures in need of renewed life from God. 

Jesus’ humble act of washing the feet of the disciples is instruction about how to do ecclesial ministry in a world that is often indifferent toward God’s favor.  Faithful ministry is humble service to those in need.  Sometimes the need is for evangelization, and at other times, it is the need for reconciliation; at all times, it is an act of humility in imitation of Jesus. 

The twelve parishioners whose feet I will wash tonight are not here because of their need to be evangelized or reconciled but because they represent our entire parish and our local effort to minister to “the world.”  These twelve are members of some of the ministries we perform in our parish and outside our parish bounds; they are some of those who minister in humble service. 

Tonight’s foot-washing is an explanation of the death of Jesus, but it is an explanation of a different sort from the one Jesus gave the disciples at the Last Supper.  We are we not waiting for Jesus’ saving death to occur, but neither are we waiting for an adequate understanding of that death.  We know Jesus; we understand his ministry of renewing the world, and we have the privilege of participating in that ministry.  Tonight, we receive instruction from Jesus about how to fulfill God’s command to be ministers. 

It’s common enough to have conflicting attitudes toward the world, non-believers, and the fallen-away.  Regardless of the nature and intensity of that conflict, it is reconciled by our humble service.  Tonight, we remember with profound gratitude Jesus’ graciousness toward us, and we commit ourselves to remain faithful, to imitate Jesus’ humility, and to be examples of reconciliation.