May
04
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The Servant Savior
Ford Madox Brown was an English painter. Originally, this painting depicted Jesus only partially clothed, but it caused such an outcry that it remained unsold for several years—until Brown covered Christ with more robes.
I love this depiction of Christ Washing Peter’s Feet. It captures Jesus washing the feet of his disciples on the night he was betrayed. Peter protests at first, but eventually begins to understand the significance of Jesus’ act and becomes humble enough to let him continue. We are brought into the scene just after that moment. Peter’s face is sober, his hands clasped—perhaps in prayer, perhaps in quiet surrender.
Have you ever taken part in a foot-washing? It can be humbling not only to wash another’s feet, but also to receive that kind of care. It feels like an uncomfortable closeness, an intrusion into your personal space. And to allow another person to serve you—especially someone in a position of authority—requires a kind of humility we don’t often practice. We would much rather be the one giving than the one needing.
Brown paints the scene from a low, cramped perspective, drawing us in so that we feel as though we’ve joined the disciples at the table. We are no longer observers—we are participants. Look at their faces. Notice their hesitation and confusion. One even holds his head in his hands. They are trying to make sense of a Savior who kneels.
Now notice the man on the far left. The money bag on the table in front of him tells us this is Judas—the same Judas who complained when Jesus’ feet were anointed with a woman’s tears at an earlier dinner, the same Judas who will soon betray him. And yet here he is, bending down to untie his sandals, as if to say, “I’m next.”
Being Human connection: Jesus knows exactly who Judas is and what he will do. And still, he washes his feet. I don’t know if I could have done the same. But the question lingers—will we let Jesus serve us? Will we receive what he freely gives? And then, will we go and do the same?
Featured art: Christ Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Madox Brown, Tate Modern, London, England