With summer just around the corner I was reminded of one of my favourite things in life; summer evening picnics. To my mind there
are few things more enjoyable at the end of a hot day than feeling a cool
breeze on hot skin, tucking into some good food and gazing at the glories of
long shadows stretching out from rustling trees. Chillin’ in the park it’s easy to see why
they call the 5-7pm stretch golden hour. Last summer was the driest summer in 50 years and we tried to
make the most of these long evenings.
After being cooped up inside doing baby naps all day I couldn’t take it
anymore and took the family to the park for dinner. For a bonus prize daughter number one had a
friend over and they had a wonderful time enjoying the evening playing on the
playground, adventuring in the “forest” and feeling the bark crunch under their
bare toes.
It was ironic then that a day or two later I
was reading the book of John and what do you know? Jesus and the disciples are sitting down fordinner and Jesus announces he will wash their feet. John starts the story by letting the reader
know that the reason Jesus does this thing is because He knows his time to
depart this world [die for it] is near and that loving his own [his disciples]
he loved them till the end [all the way to death]. This little note tells us that Jesus is not
showing his disciples a new ritual to perform for one another or to chastise
them for being too proud to cleanse one another but that he is trying to teach
them something much deeper. And Peter
sort of gets it, he recognizes Jesus as the most important man to ever live and
is insulted when Jesus comes to wash him.
But Jesus tells him “if I do not wash you, you have no part in me”. Bam! It’s
like Jesus is saying to Peter (and us) “Peter, the only thing that can cleanse
you of your sin and wash away God’s judgment hanging over your head is my
blood. If you refuse my death for you
then you will not be forgiven by God.
You will have no part in my kingdom.”
To which Peter replies “then wash all of me!!” But Jesus refuses “if you have bathed [which
you have Peter, by putting your faith in me], then you are completely clean,
you only need your feet washed!”
These indeed are comforting words. For whoever believes the Jesus is indeed God
Himself who did that cleansing work on the cross has been made clean. A high pressure spiritual shower has been
applied to their souls and flushed away all sin and created something new,
something fresh, something bleached whiter than freshly fallen snow. Yet every day our feet get dirty; which is
another way of saying that Christians still sin.
In commanding his disciples to follow his
example and wash one another’s feet it’s like Jesus is saying to his Church “children,
you are the Church. I have given you to
each other. I have forgiven you all your
sins, you are as clean as the snow, you are the bride of Christ dressed in
spotless garments. But you will still roll
around in the mud of sin. The guilt
caused by your foolishness will cause you to fear my anger and you could use a frequent
reminder that you are loved by me so wash each other’s feet – meaning – preach
to one another what I have done for you.
Confess your sins to one another and comfort one another with the gospel”.
So next time you are hangin’ out at church
get in there and clean up your fellow disciple’s nasty toe jams so to speak! And encourage them to return the favour! Then we can all lie down at night comforted
that we are fully clothed in the brilliantly clean garments/bedclothes of
Christ. Sleep tight!
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