Each year Chang Jung  University, one of the Christian universities in Taiwan,  holds a special foot washing ceremony at the school’s commencement in which professors will wash their students’ (some student representatives) feet to teach their students to behave meekly, to serve modestly, and to learn humbly when they leave school.

This kind of religious rite is derived from Jesus and his disciples. In John 13:1-17 during the Passover supper, Jesus knew he would leave this world and return to the Father. He stood up from the dinner table, took off his coat, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin and began washing his disciples’ feet. Startled by Jesus’ action, Peter rejected, “You should not wash my feet!” But Jesus responded, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me. . . I have given you an example.”

In this event Jesus showed his ministry is a serving ministry of love, to condescendingly lay down life for other. On the other hand, we won’t have a share with Him if we are not cleansed by Jesus. He died on the cross 2000 years ago and shed his blood for you and me. Today if we are willing to let him wash us, we will be clean indeed and have a new life.