At times Biblical symbols can be taken and used in modern contexts because of how impactful they were. This is true of symbols like the cross, doves, the fish symbol, and also of feet washing. But the challenge we have is when we take a symbol or action done in one context (social, cultural, historical) and force it into another context. A symbol stripped of its context can be easily manipulated or even misunderstood. So what was the original context of feet washing and how should we understand this Biblical symbol today?
Feet washing in the Ancient Near East (ANE) was a sign of hospitality and would have been performed for guests who entered a house (Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32). In wealthier homes, a servant would have been tasked with the responsibility of washing feet (1 Sam 25:41) and would have been the lowest role in the house among even the servants.
A guest who entered someone else’s home would show respect to that household through their speech and actions. So, the very symbol of f…
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