The hand-washing that made history

Do you know the origin of the phrase "to wash one’s hands of something?" 

   

It means to turn away and refuse responsibility, to dismiss or renounce interest in. It comes from the Bible. 

After being arrested, Jesus was brought before Pilate, the governor of Judea. The chief priests and the elders accused Jesus and demanded his condemnation. After questioning him, Pilate declared that he has found no basis for a charge against him. Even his wife, following a dream, advised Pilate not to be associated with the condemnation of an innocent man. But at the insistence of the crowd, Pilate finally gave in. To clear himself, he took water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, "I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!”( Matt 27:24) From this was born the term "wash one’s hands of something".      

But there was much more than hand washing on that crucial day commemorated on Good Friday.

 It is the day when Jesus was condemned, scourged and nailed to a cross. He who was recognised as being innocent three times in a row by Pontius Pilate himself (Luke 23:22) and by one of the criminals crucified with him, who said: "For we receive the reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41).     

Each year, the Easter period is for me a time of introspection and reflection on the work of Jesus on the cross. This year, the beginning of Lent eluded me, because I was so concerned about the health crisis, giving in to anxiety. Finally, I decided to reduce my time of exposure to the media and to devote myself more to reading the Bible and meditation. So, one day, I opened my Bible and came across a well-known injunction during this period: "Wash your hands”! I jumped: "What! Even in the Bible!?” Then I read the entire verse: "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4: 8).            

This invitation to wash my hands reminded me of a day in 1999, in my teenage bedroom, when I was wondering where my spirit would go if, or rather when I would die. That day, I asked God to forgive my sins, accepted that Jesus died for me, and I invited Him to lead my life and help me do His will. This reminder wiped away my fear and gave me joy, because I know where I go, even if the path to go there is often rocky.

The invitation to draw near to God and be completely purified by the blood of Jesus is always valid, and not only in times of crisis, or at Easter, but as long as we are alive. Are we going to wash our hands of it like Pilate and continue our path towards an uncertain future? Or like the criminal on the cross, recognise the state of our heart and accept the salvation offered to us?  

Ivanova Nono Fotso