Communion and Foot Washing

By Harold Sadlier

October 4, 2023

John 13:1-5
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 


Feet washing, communion, and council meeting, all three of these are scripturally mishandled, and abused. 

Beginning with council meeting, what is that?  That is the time taken prior to communion and feet washing, where members profess their peace with (God and their fellow man), their fellow man being who?  Typically, their own church members. 

This is taken from 1 Corinthians 11:28, But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

In the plain church, the ministry will often be in a little room, where one by one, those that will partake of communion come before the preachers. There, they confess peace with God, their fellow man, and their desire to go along to communion. 

This is wrong!  As Paul says, “Let a man examine HIMSELF! Don’t go before a pope, examine yourself! Plain preachers do not practice that, but have turned themselves into power seeking gods. 

This verse also addresses another common practice which is, you must be a church member to partake, and often, the membership must belong to that particular group, or denomination. 

Here’s an illustration, Suppose in a momentary lax of sound judgement, i attended the typical mennonite church on a Sunday morning, and it happens to be a communion Sunday. 

I stand to receive communion, but I will not be Served. Even if I spoke to the ministry before the service, expressing my desire to partake, i would be forbidden. Why?

I’m not a mennonite. I’m not a member. What difference though does that make? I’m saved, I’ve been born again, I love and worship God, don’t they?  Well, because I’m not known to them, they can’t be sure I’m saved. But what did Paul say? “Examine yourself!” This table belongs to the Lord, not the local church! This represents the Lords body, was it not broken for me? 

Suppose I am known by the group, but I do not uphold their false doctrine, nor rule book, then what?  I’m still forbidden, because in their eyes, if you’re not mennonite, your lost!  What else did Paul say in that verse, But let a man examine himself, AND SO LET HIM eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. And so let him, but they let us not! 

As a member, suppose you meet a man with long hair and tattoos, he’s not ashamed to tell you he’s a Christian, and he is! You invite him to your (church) on that communion Sunday. He’s had little teaching, and little understanding. Suppose he stands to partake. What do you do? He’s forbidden! Now, what does that say to him? You’re not welcome here. You’re not saved. We are better than you. You’re not worthy. (Are you)?

What does that man think and do next? Why should he ever come back? What should he tell others? In fact, why would he ever want anything to do with a God after (that likeness)?

I know a case where at a mennonite revival meeting, a long haired man came forward to be saved. After he finished asking Jesus into his heart, the Eastern Mennonite bishop told him, “Don’t you think you should go get a haircut now?” What a horrible horrible things to tell this man! The (church) just did what it does best, judged and condemned. Jesus said in John 7:24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Feet washing and communion, these are taught and practiced as one doctrine, yet they are separate.

Communion is about remembering Jesus broken body, Feet washing is portraying humility, a willingness to be a servant. 

Philippians 2:5-7
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. 

To focus on feet washing now, let’s look at its context. Prior to this, what were a couple disciples doing? They were arguing who would be greater in the kingdom of heaven. Who washed these arguing disciples feet? Jesus, God himself! 

Just whose feet did he wash? Jesus definitely wouldn’t wash Judas’s feet, after all, the devil had entered Judas, and Judas was going to betray him, and Jesus knew it! But he did! Jesus washed Judas’s feet! What about Thomas, Jesus knowing that Thomas would doubt him. He wouldn’t was this doubters feet, oh but he did! 

What about Peter? Jesus knew that Peter would deny him, not once, but three times! Peter also wasn’t saved, Jesus had told him prior, “When you are converted, strengthen your brethren. Yet, what did Jesus do? He knelt down, and tenderly washed this dirty fisherman’s feet! Just who was the one that washed these dirty feet?

3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

The key here is, he was come from God, and went to God; Did washing these feet make Jesus any less than he was?  No!  He knew who he was! He knew where he came from! He knew where he was going!

So, what would keep you from washing mine? What would keep you from washing the long haired hippies feet? Would Jesus wash mine, or his? If so, why do you refuse to wash others? By refusing, What does it say of you? Can you not wash his feet? 

If he wants to wash yours, can you not let him? Is he that unaccepted, that you’ll only wash the feet of your own people? Suppose that rejected hippie turns and walks out the door. He’s hurt, but not cast down. He knows who he is, you can’t take that away from him! He knows where he’s going! You can’t change that!

The Bishop starts the feet washing ruckus, the hippie drives past the bishops house. He notices the bishops wood pile needs split, he turns around, drives up to the wood pile, splits and stacks his wood. What did this hippie just do? He washed the bishops feet!

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who is the one here that truly showed love?

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