In my last post, Kefa Prepared for the Pesach. We continue in our chronological journey of Kefa, in this post, Kefa Has His Feet Washed. For the next few posts, we will be exploring the Last Supper, as reported by Yochanan. Once again, I am only focusing on Kefa’s involvement.

Right before the meal began, Yeshua ⁴ rose from the table, removed His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist. ⁵ Then He poured some water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the talmidim and wipe them off with the towel wrapped around Him.

The practice of foot-washing had a long tradition in the Tanakh (see Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Judges 19:21; 1 Samuel 25:41). Foot-washing was a courtesy shown to guests in a home, usually performed by a servant or the host’s wife when the guests entered the house or while they were reclining at the table (see Luke 7:44, Mark 1:7). Here Yeshua acts out His teaching of Mark 10:43-44 that the greatest must be a servant.

By so serving, Yeshua prefigures His death as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 on behalf of the many. Yeshua overturns even positions of social status. If you have ever participated in a foot-washing as either the washer or the washed, you know what a humbling experience this can be.

⁶ He came to Shim’ on Kefa, who said to him, “Lord! You are washing my feet?” ⁷ Yeshua answered him, “You don’t understand yet what I am doing, but in time you will understand.” ⁸ “No!” said Kefa, “You will never wash my feet!” Yeshua answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no share with Me.”

Yeshua’s act violates cultural status boundaries so thoroughly that Kefa finds it unthinkable.

⁹ “Lord,” Shim’ on Kefa replied, “not only my feet but my hands and head too!”

Kefa essentially said, “In that case, forget the foot wash. Give me a shower!” With this statement, Kefa revealed his heart. He was willing to do anything to show Yeshua that he didn’t want to be disconnected from him.

As we will learn down the road, Kefa will recall this humbling incident as he pens: Likewise, you who are less experienced, submit to leaders. Further, all of you should clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because God opposes the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace. ~ 1 Peter 5:5 (CJB)

¹⁰ Yeshua said to him, “A man who has had a bath doesn’t need to wash, except his feet – his body is already clean. And you people are clean, but not all of you.” ~ John 13:4-10 (CJB)

In other words, if you are already saved, you don’t need to be saved again. It would help if you addressed the dirty areas in your life so that you can stay clean. To maintain fellowship with the Lord, we must regularly come to him in confession and repentance.

In my next post, Kefa Wants to Know What Yeshua Means by “But Not All of You.”

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