John 13: 1-10
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
There are two major concepts I really want to pay attention to. This first is Jesus's answer to Peter when he says, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." All I can think of, is how many times in our lives is this the way the Lord operates. He is working and molding us. However, we don't understand it. It seems odd, but sometimes also dark and scary. In this time period, only servants washed the feet of the people that entered the house. Therefore, when Jesus came to Peter, Peter felt it would be the noble thing to refuse to let Jesus wash his feet. After all, Jesus was his mentor, his Lord. However, Jesus said, "I know this is weird and out of the ordinary, but trust me, it will make sense later" (obviously paraphrased). Does the same not go for us? As Jesus is working his plans and purposes, we fight, because it does not fit into our schema. However in retrospect it makes perfect sense and we see in clarity the work the Lord has done. We see we have been washed, made clean, and made whole.
Secondly, the answer to Peter asking to be cleaned wholly. The Lord's answer was, you are clean, just let me clean your feet. I know I deal with this, when I have recognized the sin in my heart, I go into guilt mode and am taken under by shame, praying "Lord, clean me from head to toe! I am filthy!" However, the Lord says, "You are clean, except your feet. Just let me clean them." Feet need to be cleaned daily. In the same way, we must allow the Lord to speak to us, clean the areas of us that are still far from him. Though we have already been brought into relationship, there are still parts that are broken and away from the Lord. In being cleaned daily, we are ever brought into deeper intimacy.
Abba,
Wash my feet. Though I have surrendered and desire relationship with you, and that is what makes me clean, there are still areas that are distant. Abba, though it may be hard to understand, I trust you, and pray you would bring me into deeper intimacy with you daily. Amen
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