Muddy Feet

 

	“After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
	—John 13:5

“Don’t track that mud in here! You’ll mess up my clean house!”

That certainly sounds like a mom’s admonition. Right? Children, or otherwise careless people, forget to stop and wipe their shoes. Thus, they bring inside the filth that clings to their footware.

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus left His disciples with a powerful picture of His love and an example of servant leadership. He took a towel and washed His disciples’ feet.

Jesus told them that they didn’t need a bath—they were already clean and part of His Kingdom. But, they had been tracking “mud” into His house by walking around with sin in their lives. He wanted to demonstrate to them that He could wash that sin clean, as well.

What kinds of “mud” do we know the disciples had on their feet?

Well, we know from John 20:25 that Thomas didn’t always trust what Jesus said. Thomas wanted first-hand proof.

We know from Mark 10:3 that James and John had an issue with the need for recognition. They wanted to have seats in Heaven on either side of God’s throne!

From Mark 9:5, we know Peter was impetuous.

Jesus would have known the sin the others carried around with them, too—sin that He would gladly wash clean from their lives.

When we enter our Lord’s house, like the disciples we track in the sin of our lives. Some have made it a practice to confess their sin before they enter, serve, and mingle with their Christian brothers and sisters. “Keeping a short account with God” for those people means that because they are aware of their tendencies to sin, they frequently come to Him for cleansing.

The practice in some churches to offer a time of formal confession—both private and corporate—during the Sunday worship service, serves to figuratively “wash the feet” of all in attendance each week. Other churches periodically and symbolically practice actual foot washing, where those in attendance literally wash each other’s feet.

We must remember that Jesus paid a tremendous price for our sin so that we could be thoroughly clean. He wants to hear our confession and by doing so hear us say, “Lord Jesus, wash my feet. I want to arrive at Your House clean and be welcomed and effective for Your kingdom.”