At the time of our story, a visitor who would have come to you straight from the public baths would not have arrived fresh and clean! Walking the dusty streets would have made his feet dirty again! So it was a popular custom to wash people's feet. But Peter had his own idea about keeping clean feet!
On one occasion when Jesus Christ and His disciples were together, no one offered to wash those twenty six dirty feet! or even the Master's feet! "The evening meal was being served... Jesus got up from the meal... poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet... He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, 'Lord... You shall never wash my feet.'
"Jesus answered , 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.'
"'Then Lord,' Simon Peter replied, 'not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" (verse 2-9.)
Peter no doubt had thought it was disrespectful to expect Jesus to behave as a servant and wash his feet; even though Jesus wanted to do it. But any person who is thinking like that will not want to let Jesus do what He came to do! (John 1 :29.) Jesus came to do something much more shameful than wash your feet - He came so that He could wash away every sin from your life.
In order to do this Jesus Christ stooped very low for you and me - He went all the way to death on the cross to pay for your sins and mine! (Philippians 2:6-11. Hebrews 2:14-18.) He knew that no one else could ever be found make us clean from sin! But do you want Him to do that for you, and will you ask Him? (1st John 1:7. Revelation 1:5-6.)
Many foolishly think they will be able to make themselves clean or, if not, then they think that some other religious person or sacrament can help! Not so! Unless, by faith, you trust JESUS CHRIST to wash you clean from your sin you will have no part with Him! (verse 8.) It is the greatest of sins for a person to refuse to believe that only Jesus Christ can take away sins. (Acts 4:10-12. Hebrews 10:11-14.)
Are you trusting in Jesus alone to save you? or do you still think you will try to make yourself clean from your sins somehow? The only way you can deal with your own sin is in Hell - FOREVER! (Matthew 7 :21- 23.)
The true Christian, having asked Jesus for forgiveness, knows he will need to be kept clean from sin by Jesus. Jesus described it this way; "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean..." (verse 10.) Although the true follower of Jesus will try to walk a clean path with Jesus through life, trying to avoid sin (Titus 2:11-14.), still he will find himself needing to be made clean from sins again and again. He must learn, as Peter did , that only Jesus is able to forgive, and that He is always ready and willing for us to confess to Him in faith. (1st John 1:7 - 2:2.)
Read about keeping clean feet in John chapter 13, verses 1-10.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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