Washing of the feet – Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
An introduction into Passion Week
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There is a lot of symbolism in washing of the feet. Let us examine what is more important. In the way my thoughts come to me, in order not to become overexerted these coming days.
It is a well-known fact that a teacher is obliged to lead and teach his students spiritually, above all by example. Since the Bishop is an icon of Christ, in the place and form of Christ, let us also remember some of his duties.
“Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you will have no part with Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus answered and said to Him, He who is washed needs only his feet to be washed, because he is completely clean, and you are clean, but not all of you ‘”(John 13: 8-11).
The Lord Christ requests from Peter obedience. He has come to fulfil the Dispensation of Salvation, and Peter, by his obedience, participates fully in it. He also participates fully in Christ’s way of life, by following the example of the Lord, Peter needs to learn how to serve his fellow brethren and neighbours, even if they would be hierarchically lower than him.
Peter, in order to remain in obedience, must first humble himself before the actuality that the Lord must wash his feet; and then, when the Lord tells him that it is necessary for him, in order to be a part with Him, he needs to humble himself again, even before the reality when the Lord tells him “only his feet”. Why only the feet?
“Blessed are the undefiled in their way, for they walk in accordance with the law of the Lord” (Ps. 118: 1).
“I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep You word” (Ps. 118: 101).
“I contemplate upon Your ways, and I turn my feet towards Your testimonies” (Ps. 118: 59).
The feet in this instance represent our will. We need to direct our will towards the fulfilment of God’s commandments. Through freely expressed will, one can also fall away from God. Because of free will, there is no pre-determined destiny and because of it we are solely responsible for our actions. The expression of free will, in building a relationship with God, is essentially related to loyalty, fidelity. Through the freely directed will towards fulfilment of God’s commandments and building a personal communion with God, the whole man is sanctified i.e. cleansed. Therefore, “only the feet.”
“God, be merciful to us and bless us; and cause Your face to shine upon us, and have mercy on us, that Your way may be known on earth, and Your salvation among all nations ”(Ps. 66: 1-2).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Ps. 118: 105).
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my prayer; He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God. Many will see it, and fear will come upon them, and they will trust in the Lord ”(Ps. 39: 1-3).
Free will can be properly and completely expressed if the human mind and nous are enlightened. If they are not, then we will rely on obedience to the spiritual father.
How does God “wash our feet” today? When we partake of Holy Communion with Him in prayer and the Eucharistic, but only if we strive to fulfil His commandments. There are other ways, for example, when He covers our hidden sins from the gaze of the public.
Why does the Lord Christ often choose Peter as an example? Because he is the first among the equal Apostles; his testimony of the Teacher as the Lord Christ, the Son of God, is the stone on which the Lord lays the foundation of the Church. But unlike those bishops who invoke his supremacy and proclaim their many erroneous ways as sinless, Peter constantly errs, but he repents fervently.
Every Bishop is the head of the Church only in his diocese, but he should exercise this primacy not as authority over others, as it happens in practice, but by example of appropriate service to those who are hierarchically lower than him.
But what happens in practice? The bishops first begin to slowly exercise power over the hierarchically subordinate, only to finally think that they can do the same to those that are equal to themselves: we apparently have no right to sanctify Myrrh – apparently, only they have that right, and we should procure it from them; And, in the Divine Liturgy, our “first among equals” should mention their “first among equals”, not only at the moment of the “Great Entrance” – where it is normal, but also in the proclamation “First, O Lord remember…” – where it is not normal in the Divine Liturgy; On the other hand, on their part the “first among equals” would not mention “ours” anywhere.
According to the holy Canons of the Church, every Bishop has the right to boil holy Myrrh. The restriction of that right takes away the fullness (worthiness) of the Episcopal rank and turns the Bishop into an assistant Bishop (vicar) of the one who has the right to boil the holy Myrrh. The Bishop cannot transfer his right to boil Myrrh to the Head of the Local Church, as one theology professor claims; he can only delegate that right to his vicar – if there is a vicar at his diocese, and can only make agreement together with the Head of the Church to boil it; if he does transfer that right – The Bishop becomes a vicar.
It is a completely different question when the need for holy Myrrh arises and how much the Bishop himself needs it and for what purpose.
If this is the case for a local Bishop, what then is it like when the whole Local Church is restricted in its right to boil holy Myrrh? It is a distortion of the whole Orthodox ecclesiology.
And, the bishops mention each other in the Holy Liturgy in order to bear witness of their communion in Christ, and not to show who has authority over whom – because there is no such thing in Orthodoxy.
Nor can someone from outside, to a Local church, keep breaking the pastoral relationship with the flock and interfere in a purely pastoral issue, such as the name it uses in its jurisdiction. Or, there must not be no (must be) reciprocity with the names in an agreement between two Local Churches; and the agreement should certainly be in writing, not verbal.
Any attempt to impose authority and someone else’s will on the Bishop of the local Church, not to mention the whole Local Church, eventually turns into heresy. What can we do – this is how the structure of the Church is organised – catholic, not imperialistic.
The normal functioning of the Church requires either the spiritual authority of the Head/Primate of the Church, or, the humility of the Bishops of the local Church, as well as the sincerity between them. Even if that does not exist, then only God protects such a Church. The bad example, on the other hand, seems to be spreading more than the good one, even in the relations between the Local Churches. Thank God for keeping the Orthodox Church.
Christ washes the feet of the apostles, not the feet of some random person. He is obliged to set a direct example for His disciples, in order for them to experience what it means to serve their neighbour in any normal need. Moreover, the mystery of the Tradition in the Church is always transferred in a personal relationship between the teacher and the student, in obedience.
And we ought to serve one another by the example of the Lord: ” If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14).
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
(17.04.2022 15:47)
