How do you most frequently see Jesus in your mind’s eye? When you pray, do you think of a well-worn prayer card that someone gave you as a child? Perhaps you might think of a beautifully carved crucifix that adorns the altarpiece of your church sanctuary?
Still others of us might think of the images evoked by a favorite hymn or quote a particular passage of inspiration that holds personal meaning. We all have personal and private ways of calling Jesus to mind and so to generalize might seem intrusive.
However, unpacking these thoughts and impressions can open our hearts to a new flowering of growth in our imitation of Christ. To live as Christian who fully love, we must be willing to keep developing our picture of Jesus
As we read in Hebrews 1: 1-3, God has spoken “to us by his Son” then we realize that picturing Jesus is how we are meant to hear and understand the message of God’s voice in our lives. He is our life force and our connection to our powerful creator and by his presence in our lives we are fitted with his likeness so that we may become divine.
Knowing this we will pause and cleanse our hearts by lingering over the painting of Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet by Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893) and using it as a launch pad for our greater reflections into the story.
Madox Brown was a British artist famous for his association with the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood who by their use of vibrant colors and finely detailed realism these artists were “committed to the idea of art’s potential to change society”[i] says art historian Alison Smith “by picking themes that told stories that challenged prevailing attitudes.”
Madox Brown has composed this painting in such away that it tells the story in a new and refreshing way. If we learn to linger and look closely it can work as a starting point to stimulate the mind into greater thought. Just as we can use a word study as the center of our bible study, paintings such as this can provide rich spiritual food as they lead us deeper into the scene allowing it to work as the fulcrum turning our thoughts.
A lifetime of knowing this story and yet I had not taken the time to linger with their different perspectives. As I fully considered each disciple’s reaction to Jesus’ simple yet profound action, it carried me away from the painting and allowed me to tap into various personal memories that then lead me into a deeper connection with the painting and in turn the story and ultimately — Jesus.
Devotional Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
We pause and rest now… fully breathing in the details of your last supper with your disciples. Help us to realize more deeply the profound meaning of this exchange between you and our brother Peter. Because we are separated by time and space, we struggle with our understanding of this tradition. Be with each of us, guiding our hearts so that we may hear this story, through the use of this painting, with a new and personally cleansing message that will lighten our hearts the power of forgiveness.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them.”
(John 13: 12-17, NIV)
Begin your observations of the painting by noticing how Madox Brown paints Jesus from a unique camera angle. From this lower perspective we must mentally kneel to properly consider each disciples reaction as it is played out in a very intimate compressed space.
Viewing this then becomes mysteriously “iconic” as it simultaneously seers our mind with a vision of humility while filling our heart with admiration for a new kind of King—one who is tenderly serving us. As we look on with the disciples, we can place ourselves among them… preparing ourselves for the meal…. and for God’s mind-shattering display of love with Christ’s death on the cross.
Rest your eyes now on Peter. Madox Brown has portrayed Peter as an older man here and so in this way I begin to think about Peter and how he must have remembered this moment over the years. The act of Jesus serving him by washing his feet, must have been a memory that kept returning like a reoccurring theme coloring the backdrop of his life. His stern look suggests he might be humoring Jesus by letting him wash his feet and I can sympathize with his look of discomfort. Still by painting him as an older man, Madox Brown is reminding us of the arch of Peter’s journey and the thought of how often he was broken and yet always began again touches me.
Observing the honest way Madox Brown portrays Peter’s relationship with Jesus helps me to feel and to know that this brokenness is a process that unfolds over a lifetime. I can see pieces of myself in Peter’s reaction to Jesus here and I can hear my voice say, “ No, you will never wash my feet!” Viewing the painting from this angle helps me to realize that as much as I love and adore Jesus, I can still resist his control in my life. And I can feel a type of brotherly love for him as I look once again to the painting.
While I am still thinking about all this, I allow myself to consider the feelings of the entire group as they lean in and look on, some are awe struck and others are horrified and I think about Jesus question: Do you understand what I have done?
This time, as I look again to painting, I see the disciple on the left who is leaning in and untying his sandal. He is eagerly anticipating the moment when Jesus will wash his feet. While the others are still unsure they can allow this cleansing, this one is coming forward without hesitation.
As I fully appreciate this disciple, I begin to think about being personally cleansed by Jesus. The idea of allowing myself to be renewed by his touch of grace so that his forgiveness will transform my life begins to powerfully move my heart towards Jesus.
I can see with new eyes that we must first allow him to cleanse our hearts from our misconceptions before we can humbly serve others. We can desire to serve others because we have confessed our sins and allowed Jesus to heal our wounds. Knowing and experiencing his grace causes us to feel a greater compassion and brotherhood with those around us.
I begin to feel myself in motion, no longer resisting Jesus’ call and as I am turning, I begin to hear deep down in my soul the call of the song Down to the River to Pray. The simple, repetitive nature of the words become meditative and so they begin to fill my mind now with a vision of a slowly increasing crowd gathering at the river to be cleansed and renewed in their baptism.
Armed with the vision of this beautiful hymn, I return to the painting once again. Now I can see and hear Jesus say to me “Do you understand what I have done for you?” And I stand in silence…with tears in my eyes I shake my head, “No, Jesus, I really don’t understand the fullness of your love.”
Feeling my brokenness, I look at all the faces in the room and consider how the road to the cross will personally challenge each of these men. One of them will betray Jesus…another will deny him and all but one will abandon him and my heart melts at the sight of Jesus, kneeling there and reverently washing Peter’s feet.
When I allowed myself to deeply gaze into the story with the use of this painting, I realized that I have a Lord and King who has washed me, though I don’t fully understand it. He is willing to kneel at my feet and this thought opens and humbles me. …And I am refreshed to begin again.
[i] Were the Pre-Raphaelites Britain’s First Modern Artists? Alison Smith, August 23 2012, Tate Gallery Channel Blog, http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/were-pre-raphaelites-britains-first-modern-artists
God Thru the Arts 
Reading your blog again, more to gleam. God Bless
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