Musings

Lately, I've been thinking about relationships...and how Jesus handled them...I've been thinking about the beauty of making a lifelong commitment to one person.....and I've been puzzled by why so many people run from it...I am perplexed by why claustrophobia and commitment go hand in hand.....Here's what I'm thinking...

When you look at the relationship of Christ and His disciples..by and large He saw the same dozen or so faces around the table, fire, and essentially all around the clock. They rode in the same boats, walked the same roads, and visited the same houses.....and I wonder...How did Jesus stay so devoted to these men? Not only did He have to put up with their visible oddities, He had to endure their invisble follies.

Think about it...He could hear their unspoken thoughts, He knew their private doubts...Not only that...He knew their FUTURE doubts...What if you knew every mistake your loved ones had ever made? What if you knew every single thought they had about you, every irritation, dislike, and every betrayal??...Was it hard for Jesus to love Peter, knowing that Peter would someday curse Him? Was it tough to trust Thomas knowing Thomas would one day question His ressurection? How did Jesus resist the urge to recruit a new batch of followers? John wanted to destroy one enemy. Peter sliced off the ear of another. Just days before Jesus death, His discples were arguing about which one of them was the best!!! How was He able to love people who were hard to even like??

I'm realizing that few situations stir panic like being trapped in a relationship. For that reason I think its SO important to ponder what it means to have a heart like Jesus, therefor pondering a heart of forgiveness. How was Jesus able to love His discples?....I think I've recently found the answer in the 13th chapter of John...Of all the times that we see the bowing knees of Jesus, none is so precious as when He kneels before his discples and washes their feet.

Its been a long day...Jerusalem is packed with Passover guests, most of who clamor for a glimpse of their Teacher. The sun is warm, streets are dry..and the disciples are a long way from home...The discples enter one by one, and take their places around the table. On a wall hangs a towel....and on the floor sits a pitcher and a basin...Any one of the discples could have volunteered for the job...but not one does.After a few moments, Jesus stands and removes his outer garment..He wraps a SERVANTS girdle around His waist, takes up the basin, and kneels before one of his discples. He unlaces the sandal and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, and begins to bathe it. One by one....one grimy foot after another....Jesus works His way down the row...You can be sure that Jesus knows the future of those feet He is washing. These twenty four feet will not spend the next day following their Master, defending his cause...These feet will dash for cover at the flash of a roman sword. I tried to look for a Bible translation that reads "Jesus washed all the discples feet except Judas" but there wasn't one...

What a powerful moment when Jesus lifts the feet of his betrayer and washes them in the basin...wow!

Jesus gift to his followers...He knows what these men are about to do..and when they hang their head in shame and look at their feet...remembering their Savior knelt before them washing their feet...Jesus wants them to realize that those feet are still clean..."You don't understand now what I am doing but you will understand later..John 13:7" I think it's absolutely remarkable!

He offered mercy before they even sought it! And I have the nerve to say "Oh i could never do that, I could never forgive that person!...the hurt is so deep..the wounds are so strong!"...Perhaps this is my problem...I am seeing too much of the wrong person...I need to be fixing my eyes on Jesus!

"If I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also should wash eachothers feet. I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done for you...John 13:14-15"

Jesus washes our feet for two reasons...to give us mercy, and send a message.The message..is simple... this...Jesus offers unconditional grace...we are to also offer unconditional grace! This means...each of us...getting on our knees...and forgetting about the grimy parts of others....love love love! That's what its all about....Look past the mistakes...look past the hurts...and love. Who cares who commited the offense...Don't we ALL think we are right??...Hence..we wash eachothers feet...please understand...Relationships don't thrive because the guilty are punished..but because the innocent are merciful!

♥

Jesus! Give me the grace and the mercy to love recklessly, passionately, and without regret!...Give me the ability to someday make the beautiful lifelong commitment of washing someones feet for the rest of my life! In the meantime, help me to daily wash the feet of those around me.