"He Gets Us" Super Bowl Ad

Anti-Bible? Is it Really?

He Gets Us

• A Couple of Definitions First

• Whose feet did Jesus wash?

• Did this ad stop too short of the True Message?

• How are we to act with non-believers?

A Couple of Definitions First

Sinners – This is the most important one because I’m going to use it freely throughout this piece. Please do not be offended by my use of this word.  As the Bible says in Romans 3:23, we are all sinners and continue to fall short of God’s glory. It doesn’t matter if you’re a prostitute in the streets or a preacher who is a closet alcoholic, we are all sinners. I will stop short here, though I do wish to go on about redemption, however, I don’t have the time or space in this article. Just know, I’m not pointing out any one group when I use the term “sinner.” 

Washing of the feet – In Biblical times, this was one of the most despicable tasks to be performed, usually done by the lowest servant in the household. When a person stepped into the house, the servant would bend down and clean all the filth of a person’s feet before they continued into the house. Just imagine yourself cleaning a stranger's feet with only some water and a rag. It does make me squeamish.

Disciples – These were those who decided to follow Jesus and His teachings, though these eleven were all said to have become apostles (one who is basically a missionary).

Whose Feet Did Jesus Wash?

SayMedia

Let me paraphrase, for brevity, the episode everyone is referring to in this ad and the subsequent anger. You can find the full passage in the provided link. In John 13:1-17, Jesus is gathered with His closest disciples. He plainly knows, as pointed out, that Judas is going to betray Him. After Jesus has asked them to remember Him by performing the Lord’s Supper, He gets up from the table and, one by one, washes all of His disciple’s feet.

Jesus tells them that He’s doing this to show His love for them, that no servant is greater than the master, that no messenger is greater than the One who sent him. Peter balks at Jesus doing such a menial task, but Jesus scolds him, telling Peter that unless Jesus washes him, he could never be a part of Jesus’ world. 

Going on to explain in more depth, Jesus said that cleaning the feet is necessary to wash the recent dirt away; nonetheless, there are people that need their whole body bathed . He explained, as I said before, that He is the Lord and Teacher, and they are His students, instructing them to continue on the practice. 

This is where the confusion seems to start. Did He mean only those who were faithful to Him? Only those already “Christian”? Jesus knew that Judas needed that “bath,” that he was not a believer, and definitely not faithful. Jesus also knew that Judas would never become a Christian, to use today’s terms. Yet, Jesus washed Judas’ feet knowing all this. That being the case, it seems to me that feet-washing isn’t only for genuine Christians. 

And you know what? Jesus went a step further: He allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified while we are still yet sinners. Crucifixion was considered the most demeaning form of death inflicted on a person. I believe that might qualify, in the first century, as putting oneself below the level of a foot-washer. 

Did this ad stop too short of the True Message?

Credit: Come Near

If you look back at the first verse, it says, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.” Then look at Peter balking and Jesus telling Peter that he couldn't understand yet why He was doing this. Then you look at the whole bath situation Jesus talked about. Then you look at Him being their Lord and Teacher.  Then look at…

It can go on and on.  There are so many messages in this passage that pastors could use it for months of sermons. I would love to point out more than I already have, but there’s not enough space, nor do you have the time, at this moment, to read through it all.

That’s the same scenario with the “He Gets Us” ad.  They had 60 seconds to get a message across. No, I didn’t like the “politics,” if I may, that could be construed from it, intended or not. But in today’s world, everything is political. You can not get away from it. You must look at whom their intended target was.

Who were they trying to reach? Christians? I don’t think so. Actually, after the reaction, maybe they were. Be that as it may, they want to reach “sinners.” (Again, refer to the definition I gave previously. No offense is intended here. The sinners here could as well be Christians as not.) That’s whom Jesus said He came for, right? Not the healthy, but the sick and broken? He spent His time with sinners as accused by the Pharisees, and as Matthew wrote about Him doing. Not once did Jesus shoo them away because of their sin, not even Judas in his treachery; with that being said, many did leave on their own due to His call to righteousness.

Yes, His intent was for them to leave their sin behind and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, as should be our intent. But that did not come first. When you have only 60 seconds to reach people who deeply believe Christians hate them with all the literal Fires of Hell, you must use the most important aspect of Jesus’ teachings to catch their attention. You can’t plant a seed until you break that ground that has become rock-hard through years of negative implications. 

How Are We to Act with Non-Believers?

Credit: Come Near

Jesus summed up all the commandments for us by reducing them to two.  First and most important, love God with everything you’ve got – your full immersion of self. Second, love your neighbor, your enemy as well, as much as you love yourself. So, it seems that Jesus’ emphasis was on love. Therefore, we should mirror this.

We’re not to judge the unsaved. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2 to not judge because if we do, we will be judged, using the same standard we used against others. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 that we, as Christians, are not to judge those outside the church; it is for God to judge them.  

In Colossians 4:5-6, Paul makes what I believe to be the end-all statement of how to act toward non-believers.  He says to be wise in how you interact with non-believers, make the most of your time. Always be kind, full of grace, seasoned with salt (basically useful, knowledgeable conversations), so you can answer their questions when they ask. 

Peter, passionate Peter himself, tells us in 1 Peter 3:15-16 to be ready to answer questions regarding our faith, but to do this with gentleness and respect. To quote here his excellent reason why we do this, verse 16 says, “Keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 

Now, all this doesn’t mean we have to pretend or accept their behavior as appropriate. But it does mean we receive this person as someone Jesus loved enough to die for, even though they are still living in sin. This includes you. And this includes me. 

So, if it took someone honestly needing me to wash their feet in order for them to believe in Jesus’ love, you bet I’d do it.

©2024 Kelly L. Hartley

Kelly L. Hartley, a new author, writes Bible studies, devotions, fiction, and poems. She focuses on Bible contradictions for her “Spare Time Musings” on Substack. She’s a member of Ozark Chapter of American Christian Writers and Springfield Writer’s Guild. Social media: Substack, 𝕏, Facebook, Instagram.