Friday, July 27, 2012

And the rest is details.


Isaiah 66:1-2 (NASB)


66 Thus says the Lord,

“ Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.

Where then is a house you could build for Me?

And where is a place that I may rest?

2 “For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.

“But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Seeing Jesus. Wash my feet.


John 13:5-105 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “ If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”  (NASB)
You, my Lord, have come to me in form of a slave. You have announced your intention to wash my feet, dirty from walking through the city.  I do not understand why You would want to do that. That is the job of the lowest ranking slave of the house. I am willing to wash my own feet, or to go dirty instead. Why? 
And You show me.  Every where I go, I pick up dirt. Often not sin. Just dirt. The lyrics or melody of a song. Our culture’s attitude towards the elderly, towards sex, towards some group of people. Some anger at an unsafe driver or reckless bicyclist whom I need to forgive. I picked up an attitude. I answered a question unkindly. I entertained a memory that still hurts. Not sin. Just dirt.
And You want to wash my feet in Your pure water.  I have been washed clean, and need only the reminder of Your amazing grace to me.
Thank You.

...And the rest is details


Lamentations 3:22-24 (NASB)

22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”

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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Washing Peter’s Feet and Forgiveness


John 13:5-10a; 14-15 (NASB)5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “ If I do not wash you, you have no part [“to receive one’s due portion”]  with Me.” ” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean...
14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 
Titus 3:5 (NASB)He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit...
How central to my walk with Jesus is forgiving others? It is a question that I should not need to ask myself.  However, it is important to be reminded from time to time how important it is to forgive others. 

I was washed cleaned on the day of my personal salvation. It is finished. I have been bathed clean. But I walk in a fallen world with a fallen culture as a fallen man. I am going to sin. If I say that I have no sin, I am deceiving myself and the truth is not in me. (1 Jn 1:8). I need to regularly, routinely, confess sin to my Savior.  And He will “wash my feet” so that I can be completely clean.

And I need to “wash the feet” of others, freely, without thought. If I don’t, then I have no part with Jesus.

And then there is the ceremonial aspect. In many church traditions, “foot washing” is a regular (or semi-regular) ceremony.  In physically wash someone’s feet, I am declaring before God and man that this person is now clean all over. I can also make that declaration without the physical symbol of foot washing.