John 13:2-15 New Living Translation (NLT)
2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[a] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[b] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
After a long day of ministry, it was time to sit at the table and eat. Judas had already been prompted by the devil to betray Jesus. And Peter was getting ready to be sifted like wheat; revealing the tare in his heart that would cause him to deny Jesus three times: pride.
Before we start picking on Peter, let’s go ahead and admit that we are JUST, LIKE, HIM.
We’ve received revelation from the Father that Jesus IS the Messiah.
We’ve received Jesus as Savior.
We’ve received His Spirit.
We’ve received His baptism in water and fire.
We’re busy making disciples, but….we haven’t received Him as Lord.
Just like Peter, as we walk along the road, preaching and praying and prophesying over people, our feet get dirty from the work of the ministry. And because the fields are ripe for harvest, and there aren’t enough workers, we justify that we don’t have time to get off the road, come inside and SIT with the Lord. So, we just keep going and going and going. Convinced that God needs us to keep ministering for Him. Convinced that people need us to keep ministering to them. Pride invades our heart. Fear whispers in our head. And control blurts out of our mouth: “NO, Lord! You will never wash my feet!”
We don’t understand when God invites us to His table, takes off His robe, wraps a towel around His waist, and pours water into a basin. We assume we need another bath. But our hands and head were already washed when we accepted Jesus as Savior (salvation), so all we need is continual foot washing from our Lord to be made clean (sanctification).
Ephesians 5:25-27 New Living Translation (NLT)
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[a] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
Once we humble ourselves and allow Jesus to wash our feet, He’ll ask us to allow another disciple to wash our feet. Yep. That’s right. He wants us to submit to other people in His body, because we need to be washed with the spiritual gifts He has given them.
And then, when we humble ourselves and allow another disciple to wash our feet, He’ll ask us to wash another disciple’s feet. Yep. That’s right. He wants other people in His body to submit to us, because they need to be washed with the spiritual gifts He has given us.
My fellow disciple,
Sit and feast at His table.
Let the Word wash your feet.
Let others wash your feet.
Be made HOLY and CLEAN.
Share the good news with beautiful feet.
Isaiah 52:7 New Living Translation (NLT)
7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
the news that the God of Israel[a] reigns!
Deep Into the Water 