Hi, everyone. I am Joe Infranco and welcome to God Today. I am an attorney with a ministry called Alliance Defending Freedom. It is more enjoyable for me to come to you today and talk to you about the scriptures and share a few brief thoughts. I wanted to talk a little bit about John 13, a memorable event that we read about, where the disciples were gathered together with Jesus. Jesus took off His outer garment, picked up a bowl, a basin, and a rag. He began to wash the feet of His disciples.
This was a lowly task. This was a task for the servant on the bottom rung in the household. When you walked in those streets with all the dirt, and animal droppings, and whatever. This was not a pleasant job. I love the story of then Jesu sgets to Peter. Peter of course says, “Lord, you will never wash my feet. You will never have the role of the servant in my life.” Jesus then replied, “Then, Peter, then you will can’t have any part with me.” Peter, never at a loss for an answer, instead goes in the other direction. He says, “Well, not just my feet, but my head and my hands too.” Interesting – why head and hands? The head and the hands are very interesting in scripture. They stand for the way we think and the actions – the works of our hands.
When the Jews tied the Great Commandment, “The Shema”, close to their body, they wanted it on their forehead or on their right hand, to remember that Great Commandment. “Here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one.” Here is Peter, saying, “Lord, I am all in. Go for it all.” Jesus gives him an interesting answer. He says, “Peter, the one who has been washed, only needs his feet cleaned.” He uses the word “washed” meaning “the one who has been bathed, the one who got the whole treatment just needs a little touch up with the feet.” He proceeds to wash Peter’s feet. What I have done now you won’t understand, but you will understand later.
It is an interesting parallel for the story of our lives. Why is that? The Lord washed us – He made us clean. When we walk around in this world, our feet get dirty, don’t they? We come in contact with the world, we come in contact with people who are difficult. We live, we work in our jobs, we do all the things that we do. When that happens, some dirt clings to us. We don’t need a complete washing again. There are times we just wash each other’s feet. That is what the Lord has called us to do. There are times we let Him wash our feet. We say, “Lord, I am feeling the effects of this day and everything. Would you just wash my feet and get me back on track?” God is so gracious. Philippians 2 tells us that, “He, though being the very form, the very substance of God, took on the form of a servant.” He is faithful to do that and minister to us.
Do you feel maybe you have come into contact, you have some of the world clinging to your feet from walking around on those dusty roads? Let Jesus wash your feet. Even better – wash each other’s feet just the way He told us to do. Let’s pray. Father, thank you for the opportunity we have to study your word, to know you, to be guided by your Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord, to have the attitude, the heart that you have asked us to have with each other, to encourage each other – even, Lord, to wash each other’s feet in service. In Jesus’ name. Thanks, I am Joe Infranco – nice being with you.