Wash my feet, Jesus?!
Wash my feet, Jesus?
No way!
I can’t let you wash my feet!
If anyone round here is doing foot-washing, it should be me…
You’re not my servant, you’re my master, my Lord.
O – I see.
I need you to wash my feet so that I can be part of you.
Please wash my feet, Jesus!
Wash others feet, Jesus?
No way!
I don’t want to go round washing the feet of other people!
When I said I should be doing the foot-washing,
I didn’t mean the real feet of real other people.
They might be dirty or smelly and I might feel demeaned.
O – I see.
I need to wash the feet of others so that I can be you to them.
Please give me others feet to wash, Jesus!
Let others wash my feet, Jesus?
No way!
I can’t let other people wash my feet!
That’s taking this foot-washing theme too far…
My feet might be dirty or smelly and I might feel vulnerable and not in control.
O – I see.
I need to let others wash my feet so that I can receive you through them.
Please let others wash my feet, Jesus!
Jesus –
If I let you wash my feet, and if I wash the feet of others,
and if I let others wash my feet,
Can I wash your feet?
© Jacqui Horton
Complementary Prayer for use in Lent
Jesus,
This Lent and Easter,
wash my feet, as you washed the feet of your disciples.
Please wash my feet, Jesus.
Jesus,
This Lent and Easter,
help me to wash the feet of other people, and to follow your example.
Please give me others feet to wash, Jesus.
Jesus,
This Lent and Easter,
may I allow others to wash my feet, as you came both to serve and to be served.
Please may I let others wash my feet, Jesus.
As we let you wash our feet, as we wash the feet of others, and as we have others wash our feet:
Please let us wash your feet
and put you at the centre of our lives
this Lent and Easter,
and always. Amen.