The story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples has stirred Christians and people of many other faiths and none for centuries. But it caused some grumbling at the time which has continued to the present day as Pope Francis was taken to task by some for washing the feet of women in a Roman prison.

What was the problem at the Last Supper? Peter realized that something fishy was afoot, if you can pardon the bad pun that naturally comes to mind. And he was right. Jesus’ gesture does turn the world upside-down. Although it’s an element of carnivals to invert the social order for a time, Jesus said that from this time forth, all of the disciples should wash the feet of one another. (Jn. 13: 13–14) If each person is to wash the feet of other people, then all people. including those in leadership positions, are to serve other people. This puts all people on the same level on a permanent basis. Jesus made this social upset all the stronger when he said a bit later that he no longer called his disciples servants but friends. (Jn. 15: 15) Friends are on a level with each other in a way that masters and servants are not.

This notion of social equality did not come out of nowhere. Jesus may or may not have been holding a Passover meal, but it was close enough that the Passover was on the minds of the disciples. In reading the instructions from Exodus in light of Jesus’ actions and words, I am struck that it says “each family” should hold the Passover. (Ex. 12: 3) This suggests that for the feast, each family is on a par with every other family. And each family that is too small should pool resources. (Ex. 12: 4)

Social equality is part of the American dream, a dream espoused to me in school and at home during my childhood. This is a dream that follows from the teaching and example of Jesus. But fighting against this dream and the example of Jesus is our human tendency to compete with one another for social position. We tend to become enmeshed with one another as we jockey for position and power. That our country, whose national scripture includes the declaration that all are created equal, accepted the continuation of slavery of dark-skinned people shows the difficulty of accepting and affirming the equality Jesus surely enjoined on all of us. To add to the sad irony, I was taught this dream in a segregated American suburb.

The situation in Corinth that Paul wrote about shows how instinctive social positioning is and how difficult is the affirmation of equality. The source of Paul’s exasperation with them is the flaunting of wealth at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper when it should be an occasion of sacrificial charity. For his part, Paul understood that Jesus’ footwashing was about the same self-emptying that takes place when Jesus pours himself into the bread and wine to give himself to us all.

As we celebrate the Eucharist on this solemn occasion in remembrance of Jesus’ gift of self to us, can we also give ourselves to each other in remembrance of Him? Might we be challenged by the example of Pope Francis?