Jesus washes the disciples' feet:
It began with a demonstration that made no sense to the participants. There was their Lord and Master - claimed and acknowledged as the Son of God, taking off His outer garment and becoming a slave. This was right after they all had heard the acknowledgement from heaven. Here, I am thinking of all those moments that I felt self-important: Answered prayers, well thought out responses to difficult questions, leading worship, praying for people...
All of those times when I thought how wronged I was. All the hurts and intended meanings that I cried out to God about, together with those times when God dealt with some painful truths about my attitude to people lead up to this question:
"Do you understand what I have done for you?"
Bewildered as His audience were, I ask myself is this just about the humility of Christ? Thank fully, the Lord, explains Himself:
It seems to me, the first part of the commandment is easy if taken at its face value: a bunch of christians gather together, each wash the other's feet and it is done. But, quietly and rather heavily, I am reminded of a lover at the door of His beloved's house wooing her to open the door, yet she complains of not wanting to make her feet dirty: " I have washed my feet- must I soil them again?" this thought brings home to me the response that Jesus gives Peter:
“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
John 13:8 NIV
I cannot depend on my quick fix night cap prayers: "Lord please forgive me for all the wrong I have done today, knowingly and unknowingly-Amen!"
Allowing the saviour to wash my feet is to open up and let him get down to the depths of my sin and cleanse me thoroughly. And He expects me to do the same thing when I say, I forgive a brother or a sister in Christ. If He my Lord and Master is willing to do that, I should have no reservations.
Would I walk through the dirty path to meet my Serenading Saviour just to let Him lead me into perfection like His? Would I just put up my feet and hang up my shoes and say, enough of the life of walking through dirt... Oh yes! Feet do get dirty even when you do His bidding, here in this life. But His cleansing awaits.
It began with a demonstration that made no sense to the participants. There was their Lord and Master - claimed and acknowledged as the Son of God, taking off His outer garment and becoming a slave. This was right after they all had heard the acknowledgement from heaven. Here, I am thinking of all those moments that I felt self-important: Answered prayers, well thought out responses to difficult questions, leading worship, praying for people...
All of those times when I thought how wronged I was. All the hurts and intended meanings that I cried out to God about, together with those times when God dealt with some painful truths about my attitude to people lead up to this question:
"Do you understand what I have done for you?"
Bewildered as His audience were, I ask myself is this just about the humility of Christ? Thank fully, the Lord, explains Himself:
"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.
Very truly I tell you, 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. "
“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
John 13:8 NIV
I cannot depend on my quick fix night cap prayers: "Lord please forgive me for all the wrong I have done today, knowingly and unknowingly-Amen!"
Allowing the saviour to wash my feet is to open up and let him get down to the depths of my sin and cleanse me thoroughly. And He expects me to do the same thing when I say, I forgive a brother or a sister in Christ. If He my Lord and Master is willing to do that, I should have no reservations.
Would I walk through the dirty path to meet my Serenading Saviour just to let Him lead me into perfection like His? Would I just put up my feet and hang up my shoes and say, enough of the life of walking through dirt... Oh yes! Feet do get dirty even when you do His bidding, here in this life. But His cleansing awaits.
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