A
Here we go again. More legalism and Phariseeism. Humans just CAN'T seem to tear themselves away from engaging in it.
John 6:53 - So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves."
Do you literally eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood? Where is the corpse? Do you have Jesus's corpse stored in an icebox in your garage? You can't have the life Jesus offers unless you eat the actual flesh of his body as a cannibal because you are a legalist thinking like a Pharisee.
OBVIOUSLY, Jesus was not advocating for cannibalizing his body (which would be a sin) but RATHER inviting listeners of His message to enter into spiritual union with him... specifically to enter into God's kingdom.
Augustine of Hippo put it like this: "The hard saying cannot be taken literally since it would seem to be enjoin a crime or a vice. It is therefore a figure, bidding us communicate in the sufferings of our Lord, and secretly and profitably treasure in our hearts the fact that his flesh was crucified and pierced for us.” Elsewhere he sums the matter up in an epigram: Crede et manducasti, “Believe, and thou hast eaten.”
Bernard of Clairvaux explains it like this, “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” as meaning “he who reflects on my death, and after my example mortifies his members which are on earth, has eternal life—in other words, ‘If you suffer with me, you will also reign with me."
The Bible states Jesus himself can thus be called the life (1:4; 11:25; 14:6), the giver of living water (i.e. life-bestowing water, 4:14), and living bread (6:33f.). To receive Jesus by believing in him (3:36; 6:29) is to receive the bread of life, and to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus (an expression in which many scholars see an allusion to the Lord’s Supper) is to partake of eternal life (6:54).
Capesh? Maybe not in your case. Let's move on anyways for the benefit of everyone else.
The footwashing is a drama of Jesus’ act of sacrifice on the cross, and Peter’s response represents the reaction of believers. The disciples are made "clean" (13:10) by their acceptance of Jesus and his death for them. Where we find the vertical dimension of the gracious act of service of Christ in his death for us, we also tend to find an emphasis on loving and caring for the community (e.g., Mk 10:41–45; Phil 2:1–11; 1 Pet 2:21–25).
Indeed, Jesus’ rebuke of Peter’s attempt to resist the gift offered in the foot washing (13:8), and then his overreaction to it (13:9), is difficult to understand unless we see that Jesus is rejecting Peter’s attempt to draw distinctions between himself and the community. The humility that Jesus is pressing on Peter is both to accept the gracious gift of service from the Master and to accept a common human need for the same gift.
In this sense the link made between the betrayer and the footwashing is not accidental (13:11, 18–19, 21–24). The stories of Peter and Judas (see Judas Iscariot) are deliberately interwoven (note the similar technique in Jn 18:12–27 and Peter’s role in the trial of Jesus). As Peter represents the community of faith, Judas represents those who reject Jesus’ sacrificial gift and its concomitant demand for service to others. Not to accept Jesus’ death for us is to betray him, to leave the community of faith and embrace the darkness (13:30).
The example Jesus gives the disciples in washing their feet (13:12–20) is the pattern of sacrificial and costly service. The key word for this service is agapē, given in the command that disciples should "love one another" (13:34–35) and thereby witness to the world.
The Johannine writings are not concerned with specific ethical actions and make no reference to the care of the poor and the outcast. This is in part because John writes to a community which is itself being cast out of the synagogue and is already dispossessed (cf. 9:22; 12:42–43; 16:1–2). But it is also because John is content to paint the big picture and only imply the details. Christ served his disciples and others in utter humility—even at the cost of the cross—so his disciples’ lesser deeds of love and sacrifice for those in need are fitting witnesses to the Master (13:35).
Jesus wasn't telling every Christian for all time that unless they go around with a towel and a bucket of water literally washing each other's feet they can't get to heaven!
You can choose to engage in foot washing if you like. You're free to do that. But, you don't earn brownie points because you engage in ancient rituals for legalistic reasons.
Furthermore, when you judge Christians for not engaging in ancient rituals for legalistic reasons you break many of Jesus other commandments and act in a Pharisaical manner which Jesus had strong words against. When you attempt to deny someone God's salvation because they don't get down on their hands and knees with a wet towel and wash your feet, you've fallen into gross theological error and are sinning against Christ. Salvation is not dependent upon foot washing rituals.
Invoking theological errors made by the Catholic Church doesn't help you. Are you even a member of the Catholic Church?
So easy to understand. So intuitive. But so hard for a few.
John 6:53 - So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves."
Do you literally eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood? Where is the corpse? Do you have Jesus's corpse stored in an icebox in your garage? You can't have the life Jesus offers unless you eat the actual flesh of his body as a cannibal because you are a legalist thinking like a Pharisee.
OBVIOUSLY, Jesus was not advocating for cannibalizing his body (which would be a sin) but RATHER inviting listeners of His message to enter into spiritual union with him... specifically to enter into God's kingdom.
Augustine of Hippo put it like this: "The hard saying cannot be taken literally since it would seem to be enjoin a crime or a vice. It is therefore a figure, bidding us communicate in the sufferings of our Lord, and secretly and profitably treasure in our hearts the fact that his flesh was crucified and pierced for us.” Elsewhere he sums the matter up in an epigram: Crede et manducasti, “Believe, and thou hast eaten.”
Bernard of Clairvaux explains it like this, “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” as meaning “he who reflects on my death, and after my example mortifies his members which are on earth, has eternal life—in other words, ‘If you suffer with me, you will also reign with me."
The Bible states Jesus himself can thus be called the life (1:4; 11:25; 14:6), the giver of living water (i.e. life-bestowing water, 4:14), and living bread (6:33f.). To receive Jesus by believing in him (3:36; 6:29) is to receive the bread of life, and to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus (an expression in which many scholars see an allusion to the Lord’s Supper) is to partake of eternal life (6:54).
Capesh? Maybe not in your case. Let's move on anyways for the benefit of everyone else.
The footwashing is a drama of Jesus’ act of sacrifice on the cross, and Peter’s response represents the reaction of believers. The disciples are made "clean" (13:10) by their acceptance of Jesus and his death for them. Where we find the vertical dimension of the gracious act of service of Christ in his death for us, we also tend to find an emphasis on loving and caring for the community (e.g., Mk 10:41–45; Phil 2:1–11; 1 Pet 2:21–25).
Indeed, Jesus’ rebuke of Peter’s attempt to resist the gift offered in the foot washing (13:8), and then his overreaction to it (13:9), is difficult to understand unless we see that Jesus is rejecting Peter’s attempt to draw distinctions between himself and the community. The humility that Jesus is pressing on Peter is both to accept the gracious gift of service from the Master and to accept a common human need for the same gift.
In this sense the link made between the betrayer and the footwashing is not accidental (13:11, 18–19, 21–24). The stories of Peter and Judas (see Judas Iscariot) are deliberately interwoven (note the similar technique in Jn 18:12–27 and Peter’s role in the trial of Jesus). As Peter represents the community of faith, Judas represents those who reject Jesus’ sacrificial gift and its concomitant demand for service to others. Not to accept Jesus’ death for us is to betray him, to leave the community of faith and embrace the darkness (13:30).
The example Jesus gives the disciples in washing their feet (13:12–20) is the pattern of sacrificial and costly service. The key word for this service is agapē, given in the command that disciples should "love one another" (13:34–35) and thereby witness to the world.
The Johannine writings are not concerned with specific ethical actions and make no reference to the care of the poor and the outcast. This is in part because John writes to a community which is itself being cast out of the synagogue and is already dispossessed (cf. 9:22; 12:42–43; 16:1–2). But it is also because John is content to paint the big picture and only imply the details. Christ served his disciples and others in utter humility—even at the cost of the cross—so his disciples’ lesser deeds of love and sacrifice for those in need are fitting witnesses to the Master (13:35).
Jesus wasn't telling every Christian for all time that unless they go around with a towel and a bucket of water literally washing each other's feet they can't get to heaven!
You can choose to engage in foot washing if you like. You're free to do that. But, you don't earn brownie points because you engage in ancient rituals for legalistic reasons.
Furthermore, when you judge Christians for not engaging in ancient rituals for legalistic reasons you break many of Jesus other commandments and act in a Pharisaical manner which Jesus had strong words against. When you attempt to deny someone God's salvation because they don't get down on their hands and knees with a wet towel and wash your feet, you've fallen into gross theological error and are sinning against Christ. Salvation is not dependent upon foot washing rituals.
Invoking theological errors made by the Catholic Church doesn't help you. Are you even a member of the Catholic Church?
So easy to understand. So intuitive. But so hard for a few.
