Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand”. “No”, said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
John 13:7-8
What is so significant about Peter’s “No”? Who wants to expose their dirty, stinky feet? I probably would answer the same way, “ No, I’m ok. I’ll wash my own feet myself.”
I asked the Lord to show me this situation from today’s life perspective, and this is what I saw:
We are walking with Jesus, but even in our spiritual walk our feet become dirty because we are walking! Yes, we make mistakes and sometimes fall down but we are walking with Jesus. Going through life: busy seasons, new beginnings, hard experiences and at the end of the day, Jesus is ready to take his towel and to wash “our feet”. It’s like He wants to cleanse us once again and to give us a fresh start for another walk.
Why would Peter say “No”? The Lord Jesus is the Holy One, King of Kings is kneeling down to serve the one who should be the servant. At times your pride can say, “I’ll do it myself, I am a big girl, I am a big boy!” But it’s not about being mature or being big, it’s about humbling yourself to the God of All, and giving Him a chance to touch you with His gentle hands. “Without it we have no part with Him”. Only by surrendering and allowing God to see and “wash our feet”, can we become and have a part with Him.
Also, I saw LOVE in action! Those loving hands will not be punishing you, will not be accusing you of your dirt, but will tenderly touch “your feet”, your life to wash you from all your sin. It could be tiredness, frustration, loss of joy, sorrow, worry, some disagreements, pain, hurts and other things. But… LOVE! LOVE of Jesus, love of God, will gently cover you, comfort you and will bring you healing. Only if you allow Him to touch you. Do you remember that Jesus washed the feet of Judah as well? He knew that Judah would betray Him. Love!
Love of God is available for everyone. He is ready to lavish His love on us. But are we ready to break our pride, be exposed before God with all our “baggage and dirt” and let Him to cover us, cleanse us, and heal us, or… we will say to Him, “No”!
It’s so easy to miss His love! With just one “No”…
Jesus is here to “wash your feet”. He is the King of King and the Lord of Lords, ready to serve you. He knows how strong you are, how tough you are. Maybe you were always doing everything on your own, and you conquered a lot, but inside you are broken, weary and tired.
Give all this up to Jesus. You will never be embarrassed. Instead, Jesus will restore and cover you with His love.
Now, its our turn!
“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.”
John 13:14-15
What does this foot washing mean to you?
I realized that sometimes it’s easier to wash someone’s feet, than to love, to nurture, to pray for restoration, to forgive or to reconcile with our brothers and sisters who have some flaws or an ugly past.
The verse that comes to my mind regarding this thought is:
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Jesus set us an example. He came to this world as the King of Kings, but He out-served the best servants, and now He wants us to do the same.
“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.”
John 13:16-17
Let’s be like Jesus, having His heart and His hands to love others the way He loves us. So when others see us, they see Jesus.
