Foot washing

Wearing a Towel

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Lately I realized that I only have a single pair of Jeans without a spot of paint. “You know that’s your own fault.” my wife told me.

Because I forget about changing clothes when I am in a hurry to start the next project, my jeans have made me a marked man. Everyone knows what I’ve been doing by the way I am dressed.

In that same way all the disciples immediately knew what Jesus was going to do as soon as they saw the towel. He was no longer identified by the teacher’s robe, now he was dressed for a servant’s job. It would be like seeing our pastor showing up in overalls riding in the back of the sanitation truck ready to pick up your garbage. “What could Jesus be thinking?” they asked each other. But in fact Jesus was for the first time revealing to them His true identity. He had not come to be a king (not yet).

The shock of seeing their master wearing a servant’s towel would only be surpassed when they saw Him on the cross. There as He hung from its splintered beams, without even a towel, He washed us all and as the servant of all took away our sins. What a humble Savior we serve!

 

What Really Matters?

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As one part of remembering the Easter story some congregations hold a foot washing service. If you have never participated in a foot washing it is impossible to explain fully the emotional roller coaster experience of that moment.

When I went on a short term missions trip to India several years ago we were surprised by such an event. It came at the close of our visit to a humble church in a small village. Just as the service was closing they called my pastor and I to come sit in the front. “I don’t like this part” pastor Joliam told me though I had no idea what was coming. Then the local pastor’s daughter a girl of about 12 came to the front with a basin and a towel and began to wash our feet. Afterwards she wept as she thanked us for coming. I felt so humbled and small at receiving such genuine love when my own heart was incapable of expressing such gratitude. Washing feet is odd and embarrassing and having my own washed by someone I had only just met was doubly so. But that moment marked my heart forever and made an eternal change in my attitude towards others. That is why Jesus commanded us to continue to follow His example. What is on your agenda or mine today?

What really matters most to God is for us to wash the dirty feet right in front of us!

Barefoot on Holy Ground

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Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5 ESV

I know that I have written twice on foot washing lately but the Lord gave me one more small truth to share.

Did you know that when God spoke to Moses, the first thing He asked him to do was to take off his sandals.? Holy ground is strange for us to think of but it is a place we should not walk in our own power. We could no more walk with muddy shoes into an operating room during surgery than to tromp into heaven with our shoes on.

But for us to walk barefoot before the Lord we must have our feet washed. And the soil from where we have walked can only be washed away by Jesus. Only He can prepare us to walk from this earth into His holy heaven. Simon Peter was horrified at the thought that Jesus wanted to wash his feet.

Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” John 13:8 ESV

Did you ever stop to think how amazingly humble our Savior is that He could choose to do such a thing? Has He washed your feet today? Would you humbly bow for a minute to pray and ask Him? Only He can make us ready to walk barefoot on His streets of gold!