Today’s Gospel passage brings to us the words of Jesus after the washing of the feet of his disciples during the last supper. With the institution of the Eucharist, Jesus teaches us about sacrificial love and with the washing of the feet, he teaches us about humility and service. At the last supper, Jesus left us an example of love and service and these are the foundations of our Christian faith. Explaining the passage, Pope Francis had said, With the washing of the feet of his disciples, Jesus modified his own commandment of love: He had earlier taught his disciples to “Love your neighbour as you love yourself,” but now he modifies it and gives us the new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” The way Jesus loved his disciples was by kneeling before them, washing their feet, and allowing his traitor to approach and kiss him. And he tells them in clear terms: “`I have given you an example’, implying to reject from their hearts any desires to dominate, our pride, our ambitions. In the Book of Psalms 41:10, the psalmist complains bitterly of a friend’s treachery. Judas’ betrayal fulfils the words of the Psalm. ‘The one eating bread with me raised his heel against me.’ Lifting one’s heel against someone means hurting him brutally. Through the Last Supper discourse of Jesus, John is trying to answer the question of betrayal faced in the early community. How do you treat those who harm you or cause you grief, especially those who are close to you in some way? Jesus addresses the issue of infidelity and disloyalty in relationships. He knew beforehand, that one of his own disciples would betray him. Despite such a knowledge, Jesus does not distance himself from such a person and he does not protect himself from the impending danger. Instead, he expresses his love, affection, and humility, even to the one he knew would “stab him in the back” when he got the opportunity. To share a meal with someone is a gesture of friendship and trust. Jesus extends such friendship to Judas right at the moment when Judas is conspiring to betray his master. The expression “lift his heel against me” reinforces the brutal nature of this act of betrayal. Jesus, on the other hand, loved his disciples to the end, his death on the Cross. The Way of the Cross for those who believe in Jesus is the way of humiliations, rejections, and betrayals that we would face in our daily life situations. While confronted with the crosses of life, Jesus invites us, his disciples to proclaim him through our acts of love, forgiveness and faithfulness.
