The Pope & His Quest For Hope

I’ve seen pictures of the Pope literally washing feet, but his latest novel stunt happens to be kissing feet now. Catholicism, for a religion that likes to allegorize mostly everything in the book of Revelation, can’t see that literal foot-washing is practically obsolete in the West. For some reason, the Pope is unable to see the true spiritual significance of what Jesus did when He washed the disciples’ feet since he allows his spiritual sons to keep doing abominable things behind the scenes, reminiscent of Eli who was complacent in dealing with his sons as they dishonored the priesthood (1 Samuel 2:12-36).

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

John 13:1-17


Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. The disciples would grasp the full spiritual significance of the act of washing feet when the Holy Spirit will permanently dwell in them as stated in John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. This signifies spiritual renewal and being covered in Christ’s righteousness (being born again in John 3:3). Jesus’ finished work cleanses us from our sin debt in full when we accept Him as Savior, but since we are still entangled with our fleshly nature, hence the need for ‘spiritual’ feet-washing, continual repentance.

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. – As believers in Jesus, He has tasked all of us to help each other stay in right standing with God. It is equally hard for the person who gives out the rebuke and also for the one whom the Holy Spirit is dealing with. Though our intent of restoration is often and almost always misconstrued (if you have been following me for awhile, I’ve never made any such claims to be without fault and I am transparent about my struggles), the true discerner of motives, the Holy Spirit, knows everything. When a person truly has the Holy Spirit, he/she will have that built-in ‘spiritual sensor’ called discernment when someone is being duplicitous (think Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:3).

God detests duplicity and Jesus called out those who were pretending to do things for God in Matthew 23:5-9,

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

 As we strive to grow in our walk with the Lord, His desire is for us to be people of integrity in all of our dealings.

What do you think about Pope Francis’ kissing of feet?

[Image 1: Vatican media via RT Image 2: Associated press (unknown photog]

10 Comments

  1. I think you pretty much summed it up when you said, “But all their works they do to be seen by men”. Nowhere are we told to kiss each other’s feet. So there are only three possibilities: either the pope does what he does for show, or he doesn’t know the scriptures, or both. I’m betting on both.

    1. And he leads about 1.2 billion people… to where?

      1. Right? I’ve only been inside a catholic church three times. Twice for a funeral and once for about five minutes. All three times I felt like I needed to get up and run out of there as soon as possible.

      2. “All three times I felt like I needed to get up and run out of there as soon as possible.”

        Must be what’s behind those idols. The last time I went was in 2006. It was for my grandmother’s funeral 🙁

      3. I have no doubt that it was what was behind those idols. Just looking at them was making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Not to mention the garb that the priest was wearing. Pretty much everything about it was freaking me out.

    1. Thank you Elizabeth ヅ

      1. 👍🏻❤️🙏🏻

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