August 3: HUMILITY, CLEANSING, REFRESHING
Jesus answered [Peter], “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” John 13:8b
This example of foot washing given by Jesus is a marvelous display of humility. Who can guess how many times His feet needed washing that no one even offered? For every lesson of Jesus, there are multiple facets of learning to be gained by His followers.
On a practical level, any task that needs to be performed is not beneath the dignity of a follower of Christ. What we may view as drudgery or mundane, God may use in unexpected ways for the benefit of another person; perhaps as encouragement in someone’s struggle that no one but God sees. Such benefits and blessings often flow the other way as well—if only we can humble ourselves to allow someone else to do something for us.
The spiritual aspect of this story strongly emphasizes our need of a close, working relationship with the Lord, the vitality of which will shape each encounter, each situation, and every decision. Our walk through this world exposes us to a steady barrage of ideas that are anti-Christian (“anti” has two meanings, both of which apply: against and in the place of). The temptation to compromise endangers every believer. But at the same time, it places us in a position to gain a tender, non-judgemental awareness of the spiritual needs of others. Jesus prayed for His followers: “I have given them Your word . . . I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14-15)
The Lord, who generously sends His Spirit to all who ask, pleads with us: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness.” (Psalm 95:8) The children of Israel, miraculously saved out of Egypt (a symbol for worldliness) were given all that they needed; yet they chose to deliberately pursue a course plotted by wayward hearts—hearts that had gone astray (v.10 – see also Hebrews 3:16-18). The plea continues today: exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). He still has many things to say to us (John 16:12), but are we receptive to His instructions?
Our resurrected Lord pursues His High Priestly ministry in heaven’s sanctuary on our behalf. He is for us, but the fallen world—under Satan’s control—is working against us. If anyone truly desires to overcome the snares and traps of our sworn spiritual enemy, the Lord is willing to move heaven and earth to strengthen, guide, and assist such a one. He wants to wash our feet – in fact, He insists upon it. When we wash one another’s feet (John 13:14), we are being His hands and feet. Foot washing beautifully symbolizes the humility, cleansing, and refreshing that we all need while walking through the painful experiences and infectious debris of this fallen world. Once we are saved, our sanctification should work its way into every aspect of our thinking, our words, and our acts from that point forward… (Philippians 2:12)
Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet…” John 13:8-10a