“You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
Peter didn’t understand — he thought the whole thing was about status. Washing feet was the task of a servant for a master, of a slave for an owner. It was a matter of rank, of higher and lower. Jesus was the teacher, the leader whom Peter had been following, the one who was to bring in the kingdom of God. It would turn everything upside down if suddenly the teacher started washing the disciples’ feet. How could Jesus be the Messiah if he were a servant?
Washing feet was necessary in first-century Palestine, in a situation with unpaved roads and people wearing sandals. If you invited people to your home, it was a courtesy to have your servants — not yourself — wash their feet. It’s not that washing feet is a disagreeable task in itself — we don’t have any problem washing our own feet. But it’s a sign of servitude, a sign that the other person ranks above you. Peter knew that. He understood how things were in the world. And because he understood that, he wouldn’t accept what Jesus was doing.
But Peter didn’t understand. It wasn’t
