“Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet… He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 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.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.”- John 13:5-10a
Whenever I read about Jesus washing His disciple’s feet, I am always floored by His amazing act of humility. The Creator of the universe stooping down to wash the filthy, smelly feet of 12 dudes?! It’s mind boggling. Church, we can learn so much from this stunning, servant-leadership Jesus modeled for us. However, I have been recently meditating on the beautiful compassion (between Peter and Jesus) found in these verses.
As it becomes Peter’s turn to get his feet washed, he is perplexed and objects to the Lord’s act of kindness. Peter basically says, “Jesus, You of all people can’t wash my feet. You are far too important for that. You are far too Holy for such a messy job.” Jesus responds by saying, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Peter, still not understanding replies, “OK, Lord, then wash all of me.” To which Jesus responds, “Those who have had their sins eternally washed away don’t need to be washed again. But, you do need your stinky feet to be addressed.”
The first time I read these verses, I was honestly a little confused. Once I realized what a stunning, grace-filled picture of sanctification this is, it became quite comforting. Jesus has saved us and forgiven us all our sins. Hallelujah! We have entered into a relationship with Him and will be with Him forever in heaven. Our place before Him is eternally secure. However, the Lord is not done with us. He wants to actively and lovingly grow us, cleanse us, and change us to be more like Him. He is sanctifying us.
Have you ever been aware of and ashamed by your sin (your dirty feet)? Maybe you are in that place right now? You think to yourself, “I’m a Christian, I should know better than this. I can’t still be dealing with sin like this. I need to be cleaner than this, holier than this.” Perhaps you are in denial that you are even struggling? You think you can’t take your stink to God, because He is too important for feet washing? Or, you think God is too Holy to deal with your filth? Yes, God is Holy; but, He is also full of mercy and compassion (Psalm 103:8).
When we can’t run from the smell of our sin anymore, we respond like Peter and scream, “Jesus, NO! Get away! My sin is too gross for you to deal with. I have dirt, grime, and dung on my feet and my heart and You should not be the one to clean it.” We fall in the trap of pride, thinking, “Let me just quickly go clean myself up, and then I’ll feel better about how I smell.” The truth of the Gospel, however, is that Jesus graciously comes to meet us exactly where we are. He knows we are weak and but dust (Psalm 103:14). He wants to help us grow and walk out of our sin.
The Lord knows we can’t clean ourselves up. Only He can sanctify us. Jesus is so patient and gentle with us in this cleansing. He didn’t save us from some far away place. Instead, He become a man like us, to be with us. He doesn’t shame us by yelling, “What are you doing?! You should be perfect already! You are so gross.” No, like He did with His disciples, He mercifully walks alongside us. He patiently endures the smell of our stinky feet until (at just the right time) He tenderly and lovingly addresses each specific area. Psalm 103:10 says, “He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.” Verse 13 follows in saying, “The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” Amen!
Take a moment today to rejoice in our Savior’s beautiful compassion,
Caleb
Posted in A Word from the Pastor