DIRTY FEET

We all get them from time to time. I know, for those of you who dislike feet altogether, I'll say it for you, "Ewwww!"

But, we have them in more than one way...

In the Bible days, people used to gather at public bath houses to wash their whole selves, ( i just learned that) and then they would put their sandals on and walk home on the dusty road, which was a bummer being that they just took a bath! So when they go home, they were clean from the top of their head down to the top of the ankles. But there feet were gross. So they would have their servents do the "honors" of washing their feet when they got home.

Let me take this to the heart...

When we accepted Christ into our hearts, we got the bath, we took a full cleansing shower that washed away our sins, past, present and future. However, because we are sinful, along the walk home from our conversion we are continually getting our feet muddy and dusty. So when we get in our homes, we realize along the way, we've collected some "dust" and we need to cleansed of that dust.

Confessions of sin, washes our hearts and restores US to a place of intimacy with our Heavenly Father...

This week, I've been reading in my Bible study the story of Jesus, who just before His death, is eating dinner with his disciples, (The night before Judas betray es the Lord) and this is where we hear the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet. I've heard the story a hundred times and always read the passage thinking, "yeah that was cool..what a act of service," and then moved on.

But friends, let me take you deeper because one misses so much when the story is dismissed with just that.

The act of washing feet in that day, was no more enjoyable then what it is today, but it was a little more disgusting because of all the dirt people carried around on their feet, and by dirt, I'm sure they meant, "Camel poop, dog poop, and nastiness from the street." (dust almost sounds lovely after that doesn't it?)

But Jesus, knowing that His disciples were to proud of heart to take initiative and wash feet, He did so, and set the example for all of us thousands of years later. (not millions. :) )

Jesus was confident in who He was in the Father that it just did not matter what He did, or how it may have appeard to others. This is who we are to be in Him today as well.

You can only imagine the disciples utter disbelief and remorse as they were too busy having a conversation about who among them was the greatest, that they did not even think for a moment to do the task that Jesus was about to do. And how humbled they must have felt when He knelt down, and began to bath their dirty, poop covered feet. The Father, did this at the cross once and for all for us, He took off His kingly robes of glory, bent down and died to wash away our "poop" and then rose again, once again, returned to glory and here is the clincher, He did it all in humble, sincere, intense, love. Jesus knew that Judas had a hard heart, and was going to betray Him, and He still did the unthinkable in washing Judas's feet...(sound familiar?) Well it should because we all play the roll of Judas once and a while. (and yet the Father's love remains)

When we accept that washing, this is where we experience the ultimate love of the Savior, not only are we washed clean, forgiven, but we are also set free of all our past, present and future "dirt".

Isn't that amazing?

I know often times I have opportunities to wash the feet of my Savior and I do turn them down...You know that every time you do something for another in the love of Christ, you are doing it for your Jesus? He tells that whatever we do for the "least of these" we have done for him..

SO this dirt has two good sides, one, we are washed, we are clean, and we are made new when we allow Christ to come in and wash our dirty feet, and then we learn how to do it for others by watching Him. (and in the end, we really do it for Christ)

And at the root of all of this, is that after the confession of our sin, and recognition of our dirt, we experience His intense love, joy and contentment that we really do not have a care for how "dirty" the job might be, because we KNOW that our identity is in our Father's Love, We know who we are.

Friend, do you know who you are, or are you still confused? I had that question asked of me today at BSF and is has rung in my ears. I am secure in Christ, and I daily, and hourly and sometimes moment by moment, ask Him to wash my feet... and He's always delighted to.

Are we so delighted to wash others feet?

Are your feet dirty friend? If they are...sit yourself down in front of His Holy Throne, His Cross, and watch in amazement as He steps down, takes off His Royal Purple Robes...kneels down, and gently, very gently, washes your dirty feet. Won't you let Him? So that you too may know the Love of a Savior, and in return, experience His blessings of peace, joy, and over all contentment.

When you are clean in Christ, it doesn't matter where you are, there is peace.