Allowing To Be Washed
The washing of the disciples’ feet by Christ is one of the powerful stories of Jesus’ ministry. Man has spent thousands of years trying to explain the true nature of God. Usually God comes out looking as One to be feared…certainly to be awed as the creator of all things…and too often as too powerful and too far away to understand. And yet in that upper room Jesus gives us a very clear understanding of who God is…He is a servant. His unconditional love for us is overwhelming and it leaps out at us as Jesus begins to wash the feet of those very, very human disciples.
Peter’s reaction to this act of service would be pretty typical of all us,
“No, Lord, not You washing my feet…you shall never wash my feet.”
Peter was not being disrespectful here…on the contrary; His words
were spoken out of love. Peter did
not deserve this act…nor do we. It
is we who should be washing Jesus’ feet…this is what servants do, and
after all, aren’t we supposed to serve Christ?
I think Jesus’ response to Peter is very important.
“If I do not wash your feet, you can have no part of me.”
Do we hear this? We are
saved through grace, an act of service to us through the cross.
We do not deserve it…we do not earn it…but this is very important: we must allow it!
It’s hard to accept something we do not deserve.
We have a tendency to push away from such acts.
After all, we live in a culture where you repay what you owe…you can
borrow, but you must pay back. One
good act deserves another. If
someone invites you over to eat, you return the gesture.
We do not accept charity…it’s not in our nature.
But here Jesus clearly tells us that we must allow His act of service for
us…to wash our feet…to die on the cross for us.
We helplessly watch Him die for us fully knowing there is no way that
should happen. The Son of
God…dying for me? Its
absurd…its insane…its unfair……..its God’s love.
And it’s who God is…God is love…God is a servant.
The God of this universe went to a cross and there He washed my sins
away. And as for me?
I must allow it to happen…if I don’t, I can have no part with
Jesus.
But there’s more and it will be our next devotional.
“Because I have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s
feet.” Thanks be to God we have
a chance to respond.