Receive
Today is good Friday—maybe the most reflective day of each year. This year as I was reading the Passion Week story in the book of John, something jumped out at me. Good Friday eve, Jesus did the unthinkable… the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Savior of the world, got a basin of water and began to wash the feet of His disciples. One of the greatest acts of humility in the history of the world.
Peter brashly revolted and basically said “no way are you washing my feet.”
And that’s when it happened. Words that struck me at the core—“Unless I wash your feet you have no part with me.”
No part… of heaven, of the Holy Spirit to guide you, of peace, of hope, of joy, of love, of the “full life” of which Jesus promised, of eternal life, and on and on and on.
Have I let Jesus wash my feet? The symbolic place of our bodies that interacts with this world the most are our feet. Have I allowed Jesus to cleanse the dirt of this world that seeks to take me out each day. Or… does my pride hold me back, my false humility, as I revolt at the thought of humbling myself to the one who humbled Himself to take our sins, to wash us clean, day after day, unconditionally.
The Bible says that it is better to give than to receive… but that only works in order. First we must receive forgiveness from the God of the Universe, GRACE, before we can give anything with the right heart. Otherwise it is a religious act, not a grace act.
Peter relented and was transformed. Then Jesus made this beautiful statement, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet (see the order here) you should also wash one another’s feet.”
Today’s Easter message is this. So many of us have shame and guilt that is destroying us and those around us. Instead of asking for and receiving the washing and grace of unconditional love from Jesus, we hide it and stuff it, and stay trapped because of our pride and false humility. When we humble ourselves and receive His offering of forgiveness and grace, we are set free and the colors of life once again explode with His light and we become feet washers too, setting others free. We become a part of the rescue plan. All because of what happened on the cross the following day, and the resurrection three days later.
To become a foot washer, we have to have our feet washed first by the King of Kings.
“It's for freedom that Christ came to set us free.”
- Galatians 5:1