Is It More Difficult To Wash Someone's Feet or To Let Them Wash Yours?

Read and contemplate John 13.

Jesus washed the disciples feet.

Image courtesy of christianpost.com

When Peter protested, Jesus explained that unless Peter's feet were washed, he could have no part with Jesus.

We understand Jesus was teaching that we are made clean through His sacrificial and substitutionary death. However, like Peter and the disciples feet, our feet get dirty. We step in the dirt of life.

We need to regularly take time to clean our feet so that they match the rest of our clean self. But here is what I think might be the toughest part of this passage to swallow. We are supposed to wash each other's feet!

Consider this:

If footwashing is a metaphor for cleansing ourselves from the daily dirt (read:SIN) that accumulates, then washing each other's feet means I am not the one responsible for washing the dirt of my feet, you are!

Which means, I have to let you.

Typically, we prefer to handle our own dirt. We want to take care of our own sin issues, and not really let anyone else know about them. But if we are truly going to live up to the example Jesus set for us, we need to learn to allow others to be the instrument of cleansing in our lives.

I need to be open to the possibility that someone else can see the dirt I've accumulated better than I can. I need to be willing to let others question me, probe me, and hold my feet to the fire so that I can be better cleansed. I need to be willing to ask my brothers and sisters to critically examine the fruit of my life and tell me whether or not its time for another good foot-scrubbing.

I need to be willing to clean their feet also. However, I ought to do it like Jesus, with my hands and a damp towel, not a power washer!

Today:

Ask a close friend if they can see dirt in your life that you should deal with. Then ask if they have any suggestions for how you can clean it. Finally, pray together.