Foot Washing Furor

Last Sunday, Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched television broadcast in U. S. history. I started watching it in the middle of the 3rd quarter but turned the TV off after seeing four camera shots of Taylor Swift. I also got grieved in my spirit by some of the commercials. I waited until the game was over and then watched the highlights on YouTube to bypass all the media hype.

One commercial aired that I later viewed online showed various individuals washing another person’s feet while a remake of the old INXS hit “Never Tear Us Apart” played in the background. That was produced by an organization called He Gets Us. Because of the exuberant cost of Super Bowl commercials (the going rate for a 30-second national slot was $7 million), some complained the money used for the foot-washing ad could have been spent on feeding the poor. One of Jesus’ disciples made a similar gripe in John chapter 12:


4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 

5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 

6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.


Religious folk are often jealous of other people’s blessings. They need to be reminded that God has unlimited resources.


When I first saw the commercial’s claim, “Jesus didn’t teach hate”, I thought of what He said in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” In this verse, “hate” would be more accurately rendered as “love less.” However, the Bible has examples of holy hatred. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”


Worship leader Sean Feucht and his wife got blessed with Super Bowl tickets after ministering on the Las Vegas strip. He later posted this comment in response to the “He Gets Us” ad:


Jesus didn’t wash the Pharisees feet

Jesus didn’t wash the Sadducees feet

Jesus didn’t wash the feet of Sanhedrin

Jesus didn't wash the feet of the demoniac of Gadara

Jesus didn’t wash the feet of Herod

Jesus didn’t wash the feet of his mother

Jesus didn't wash the feet of his earthly father

Jesus didn’t wash the feet of Satan


JESUS ONLY WASHED THE FEET OF HIS DISCIPLES.


Feet washing isn’t spa treatment! Repent and then be washed!


Other comments posted by opponents of the ad were a bit more harsh. One man tweeted: “God has NO love for those who continually reject Him...” Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Several believers witnessed to me before I finally committed my life to Him.


The controversy over the foot-washing commercial reminded me of an incident that happened ten years ago. I temporarily resided at a country home in central Florida. An evangelist who drove me there had talked of us doing outreaches in nearby Orlando. That never happened. Instead, this evangelist was more interested in me and another missionary cleaning a filthy bathroom to be a witness to other people living there. I disagreed with his comparing that to Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. As far as I could tell, most of the residents weren’t serious about the things of God. Many were smokers and drinkers. The homeowner told us NOT to go in that bathroom because the sewer system was broken.


Foot washing was more common in Bible times but as a form of hospitality, not for spiritual reasons. People’s feet got dirty because they often walked on unpaved surfaces wearing sandals instead of shoes. During His earthly ministry, Jesus said in John 13:14, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Nowadays, foot washing isn’t considered an essential Christian doctrine like communion. However, I’ve seen it occasionally practiced. There were a couple of times while staying in people’s homes, my host wanted to honor me by washing my feet. Before an outreach at a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, the organizer had us wash each other’s feet as a reminder to have the mindset of a servant.


At best I thought the foot-washing ad was a seed-planting opportunity. Unfortunately, the He Gets Us website is too ambiguous with its gospel message. One of their web pages offers “A Prayer As You Begin Your Relationship With God.” Here’s what the prayer says:


“Father God, I want to know You and experience my life with Your presence and purpose in it. Please bring me knowledge about who You are and guide me toward learning that helps me love you more and more each day. Amen.”


This prayer neglects to acknowledge the need to receive forgiveness and call on the name of Jesus to be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13). Other prayers on the website also omit praying in the name of Jesus. That is essential to answered prayer (John 14:14).


A YouTuber named Jamie Bambrick posted a video titled “The Christian Super Bowl Ad They SHOULD Have Made | He Saves Us”, which I thought was much better than the original. God can still use the foot-washing ad to draw people closer to Him. But again, hegetsus.com should give a more concise presentation of the gospel. Just as water baptism doesn’t bring salvation, neither does foot-washing. Sinners need to hear the Good News to be saved.


“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” - Romans 10:14

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