“Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was wrapped. He came to Simon Peter and he said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Then Lord, wash not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed only needs to wash his feet, and is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who was betraying Him. For this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and sat down at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”
This is incredible on so many levels. Did the Creator of everything, the Son of God Himself, really stoop to wash the dirty feet of His chosen disciples? And what exactly is He getting at when He reveals His expectation that we do the same to one another?
Some thoughts for your hopeful mind and heart…
I see polluting influences all around me. Everything vies to keep me tied to false gods, too busy to care about the One True God. I am preoccupied with the everyday concerns of all things human. In this I lose sight of the souls – the people within my journey. The choice to love is intentional and active. We set our affections on others and choose to love. This kind of love will always be of a humbling nature, inasmuch as our feet get very dirty as we walk in polluted pools.
Let’s wash up.
Dave – [email protected]
MORE: Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22
HOW DO WE WASH ONE ANOTHER’S FEET?
2 Timothy 4:1-2/through faithful pursuit of truth
James 5:16/by intercession for one another’s needs
Ephesians 4:2-3/within commitment to patient tolerance
James 4:4/we offer “God-friendship”
1 Peter 4:8/by embracing fervent, covering love (stretch and cover)
James 1:12-15/the way it works