SAINTS NEREUS AND ACHILLEUS, MARTYRS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet . . . 

Would you wash someone’s feet if you knew he was about to betray you? Probably not. But that’s what Jesus did. As he was kneeling before Judas, perhaps he was even hoping that this tender gesture would cause Judas to change his mind. I know what you’re planning to do, we can imagine Jesus thinking, but I still want to show you how much I love you and want to bless you.

In washing his betrayer’s feet, Jesus set the bar high for how we are to respond to those who hurt us. And while Judas didn’t end up changing his mind, Jesus was showing us how to love and humbly serve our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). He was demonstrating with his actions what Paul would later urge us to do: “Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14).

Of course, Jesus isn’t asking us to let people walk all over us. In fact, we see many instances when he established healthy boundaries with the people around him—whether it was taking care to withdraw so that he could spend time alone with his Father, or refusing to engage with the people in Nazareth when they wanted to throw him off a cliff (Matthew 14:13; Luke 4:29-30). Like Jesus, sometimes we also need to set such boundaries, including deciding whether it is even prudent to continue a relationship.

But we can also try to see ourselves and people we might consider our enemies through God’s eyes: both beloved, and both imperfect. So when people hurt us—even if we don’t understand why—we can choose to be led by compassion rather than retribution. By forgiving and blessing those who mistreat us, we open the door to allow God to work in our lives as well as in theirs.

Who are the “enemies” in your life, and how might you bless them? For starters, if you haven’t yet forgiven them, you can pray for the grace to do so. You can also bless them by deciding not to judge them or speak critically about them, or by lifting them up in prayer each day. In these ways and more, you will be washing their feet—and softening your own heart in the process.

“Lord, help me to love and bless my enemies.”

Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27
John 13:16-20