Washing our Feet

John 13:5-8 - 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. Simon Peter asked, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus responded, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” Peter objected, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me”.

Reading on we find Jesus saying only our feet need washing, we do not need our hands, heads, and arms washed.

Perhaps my two (2) year old nephew will try to use this scripture with his mother at bath time, after helping his dad around the farm all day. This could be an interesting phone conversation with my sister. If my nephew were to enter my sister’s home with shoes worn in the sheep pens, he would receive less than a Royal welcome.

Why is Christ adamant of needing only to wash our feet? Once during a church youth group’s ski trip, we washed one another’s feet after a day of skiing. We had previously showered. This is amazingly comforting.

Christ teaches numerous examples with each lesson. He is certainly teaching about serving each other, of this, much is written. Christ also illustrates why feet are the only parts of our body needing cleansing. Our feet are in contact with the world, Jesus says, “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world” (John 17:14); and “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” (John 17:16). The world opposes God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Physical contact with the world pollutes our feet.

Christianity is not the only religion recognizing the significance of feet. My dad spent nine (9) months in Saudi Arabia during my senior year in high school. He grew irrigated wheat for a Saudi Prince. He once dined with their Minister of Agriculture and flew on the personal plane belonging to the King of Saudi Arabia. During his tenure dad was offered a tour of the muslim mosque all face when praying. He politely declined. Dad worshipped the one true God, our Savior Jesus Christ. He desired no association with a false god. Shortly after this offer, another non-muslim accepted the offer. The one who accepted was told once inside, ‘you can leave, but your feet will stay here on this holy ground because you are non-muslim’; or a very similar statement with the same message.

Christ washes our feet, cleansing our worldly pollution; enabling us to walk with Him. Just as my sister insists on banning polluted feet from her home, our Savior bans our polluted feet in His mansion, which he has gone to prepare for us. We must allow Christ to wash our feet with His death and resurrection at Calvary. Christ instructs us to bring our purified feet, along with our body and mind on our journey with Him.

Daily allow Christ to figuratively wash your feet, cleansing you of worldly, sinful pollution. How do we activate this washing? We confess our mistakes, our evil thoughts of envy, greed, lust, gossip, immorality, including acknowledgement of mistakes we made which we do not yet recognize. We ask our Lord for strength and guidance is turning from, repenting, our thoughts, word, and actions incongruent with scripture, the pure Word of God. Acknowledge His death and resurrection allows this cleansing. Knowing He washes our feet, cleanses our souls because of His generosity. We, outside of Christ, have no worthwhile merit in this gift; just as the disciples had no personal merit of earning Christ washing their feet.

Make it a Great Day in Christ!
Rick
Rick Meyer Speaking