“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.Cross references:
B.John 13:10 : Jn 15:3
C.John 13:10 : ver 18
D.John 13:11 : S Mt 10:4
” John 13:9-11
How often have we been given an opportunity to be humble? That is a tough lesson as this world tells us just the opposite; everything should be about me. The letters ‘IAM’ in our time mean ‘It’s all about ME’ and you can see this same condition in the Pharisees that were confronted by Jesus throughout His ministry.
Being willing to receive, submit to others and serve others takes more grace on our part than giving to others. Our reluctance to be on the receiving end exposed our pride in our being in charge of things; it is all about us and not about our Triune God. Pride can be an ugly thing and if you have been insulated from it just open your ears to a concert of ‘look what we did’ or ‘look at what I am doing’ messages coming from various organizations. It should never be about us, but always about what He has done through us. When we boast about how many Trinity HOPE is should always begin with what our Triune God is accomplishing in Haiti through our time, treasures and talents.
When Christ went about washing the disciple’s feet He removed His outer tunic and with a towel, pitcher, and pan in hand He proceeded to teach another lesson to the twelve. The response from Peter was “no, not my feet, but my head and hands too.” Peter was capable of washing himself and didn’t need Jesus to do that for him. God’s children in Haiti are being fed through people like you who are serving through their donations. Learning that these children are praying for you and I daily is humbling and sometimes we may wonder why in the world would this child be praying for me. They give thanks to God for you and your gift every day.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay