The God who washes feet

[RND]

Washing Osama’s Feet



Brad Cole is a friend of mine who runs a ministry called Heavenly Sanctuary. This ministry puts on conferences around the country on the Character of God — and they get it right. This year they hired an artist named Lars Justinen from the Justinen Creative Group to paint the above picture to use on posters advertising their conference. Under this picture they had captions like “Follow the Leader,” “God IS Great,” and most accurately, “Jesus - Still Too Radical?”

Heavenly Sanctuary had contracts with several malls in the Seattle area to hang these posters advertising their conference, but no sooner had the posters gone up than angry calls began flooding the malls. Many people — but, it seems, mostly Christians — were offended at the image of Jesus washing Osama Bin Laden’s feet. There was such an outcry that each of the malls decided to go back on their contract and take the posters down. The Christian College that Heavenly Sanctuary was renting space from to host the Conference also canceled their contract. Brad had to scramble to find a secular venue (which, ironically, had no problems with the poster).

What does this say about how many American Christians envision Jesus? Obviously, the protesters believe that Jesus would not wash Osama Bin Laden’s feet. But Jesus died “not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world” (I Jn 2:2) — and this obviously includes Osama. So if Jesus died for Osama, how are we to imagine him being unwilling to wash his feet?

[Suzana]

John 13:8-17 (KJV) 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

We have to bear in mind that Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, (whom He called already clean, except for Judas, but that was yet to become publicly evident), to illustrate a point and teach His disciples to do the same to each other. We don’t see Jesus calling in the scribes & Pharisees and offering to wash their feet.

Perhaps the objection is not to the fact that Jesus died for Osama Bin Laden. Maybe those who were protesting think that the poster may give the impression that Jesus is fine with the way Osama is behaving currently, and would be happy to claim him as a disciple, without Osama having come to salvation & becoming a follower of Jesus the Lord.

So perhaps the protestors see the poster as a political statement, (perhaps even affirming Osama’s cause), rather than illustrating God’s desire that all should be saved, and is calling all men everywhere to repent.

I'm just theorising of course, and realise I may be too far removed from the mood in the country to appreciate the situation.
Of course, if the general population (and the majority claiming to be Christian) so hate the effects of terrorism that they would not wish individual terrorists to even come to salvation, that is another story.

[RND]

I think it is important to note that Jesus considered anyone that continued to "abide" in His word to be one of His disciples:

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

If we were take the attitude that "Jesus wasn't talking to me, He was talking to His disciples" we miss the very essence of what the Gospel is.

John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

If Jesus was only saying this to His disciples then I suppose we are free to hate one another. Of course, that wouldn't be in keeping with the Sermon of the Mount.

Luk 14:25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

[Suzana]

I think I may not have expressed my thoughts very well.

I think it is important to note that Jesus considered anyone that continued to "abide" in His word to be one of His disciples

I certainly do believe that all Jesus’ followers, in any age, are, or should be, His disciples.

If we were take the attitude that "Jesus wasn't talking to me, He was talking to His disciples" we miss the very essence of what the Gospel is.

This is not what I was trying to say at all. I was (attempting!) to contrast between Jesus’ followers and His enemies, in reference to the foot washing episode.
Of course Jesus came to die for all, and also we are called to love our enemies. That’s not the point here.

He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean….
ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

I understand this particular directive to apply primarily to Christians amongst themselves. That is, those who have already been cleansed (saved), need to minister to each other in ways that would be equivalent to washing dirty feet (I think there are varying interpretations as to the meaning of this).

Having hopefully cleared up that misunderstanding, perhaps the rest of my post may make some sense; bearing in mind that I am musing on the possible motives of those who objected, rather than making a categoric statement:

Perhaps the objection is not to the fact that Jesus died for Osama Bin Laden. Maybe those who were protesting think that the poster may give the impression that Jesus is fine with the way Osama is behaving currently, and would be happy to claim him as a disciple, without Osama having come to salvation & becoming a follower of Jesus the Lord.

So perhaps the protestors see the poster as a political statement, (perhaps even affirming Osama’s cause), rather than illustrating God’s desire that all should be saved, and is calling all men everywhere to repent.

I'm just theorising of course, and realise I may be too far removed from the mood in the country to appreciate the situation.
Of course, if the general population (and the majority claiming to be Christian) so hate the effects of terrorism that they would not wish individual terrorists to even come to salvation, that is another story.

[RND]

Yes, Suzana I believe I misunderstood you. I think the illustration that we should take from Jesus washing the feet of His disciples is simply that God Himself is humble enough to take on the role of a lowly servant that would stoop so low as to even wash the feet of His betrayer.

We should reached out to others, whether they be friend or foe, in like manner.