footwashingIn his commentary on the footwashing account (John 13, Gospel for Holy Thursday), Lightfoot notes that footwashing was the duty of a wife towards her husband:

It was an unusual thing for superiors to wash the feet of inferiors. Amongst the duties required from a wife towards a husband this was one, that she should wash his face, his hands, and his feet.

Christ adopted in the footwashing a servile posture towards His bride, the church (represented by the Twelve). In doing so, He did not make Himself subject to her, for He reiterates that He is “Teacher” and “Lord” (and a good wife, as St. Peter says [1 Pt. 3.6], will be like Sarah, who called Abraham “lord”). But if Christ, Teacher and Lord, washes the feet of His bride, how ought the members of the Bride, the Church, be to one another? And what does this mean for Christian marriage?

I wonder if St. Paul knew of Christ’s washing the feet of His bride (the disciples) and had it in mind when he likens the relationship of a husband toward his wife to be like that of Baptism:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5.25-27)

The husband does not cease to be manly when he acts as his wife’s slave. He acts like Christ.