Let me Wash His Feet

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 NKJV
This passage in John 13 is where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet before the meal, a job usually done by a servant or other “lesser” person. It was not a pleasant chore, but a necessary one and a traditional sign of welcome. Yet there was no servant to wash the men’s feet, and clearly all of the disciples thought themselves above such a menial and distasteful task. No doubt they all looked at the others and thought, “You should be the one to wash our feet.” They never imagined who would.
Their Lord rose from his place, removed his outer garments and took the towel and basin to the pitcher of water and poured. Imagine the shocked silence that filled the room at the sight of their beloved Teacher, kneeling before them. When the task was done, Jesus told them to take His example and live by this expression of humility and service.
I have pondered this scene in my mind and something strikes me about it. John (who was the only gospel writer to record this scene) never says that anyone washed the feet of Jesus that day. Perhaps one of them did, but surely John would not leave out such an important detail.
There will come a day – sooner or perhaps later – when I will see Him face to glorious face. When I bow before Him in grateful adoration, I want to wash my Jesus’ feet. I want to hold those beautiful feet in my hands. I want to splash water from the River of Life (Rev. 22:1) on His feet.
The gospels record two occasions when women washed and anointed Jesus’ feet. But the feet they caressed did not bear the scars from the cross. Those precious marks would come after their acts of love. They washed the feet of Jesus their Teacher; I want to wash the feet of Jesus my Savior. I want to touch the imprints left by the nails and kiss the scars that bought my redemption. He bears the marks of His love for me on His body, on His hands, His feet, His side and His brow. I want to show Him “the full extent of my love” (Jn 13:1 NIV), that I will love Him forever – “to the end” (NKJV).
I want to wash my Savior’s feet. The feet that kicked against the swaddling clothes in the manger. The feet that carried the Teacher to the shores of Galilee. The feet that walked the dusty road of the Via Dolorosa. The feet that bore the weight of His body and the weight of my sin on the cross. Those beautiful, glorious nail-scarred feet bear the marks of my redemption.

Covered in Grace

If I could go to heaven right now, besides seeing Jesus and so many others (that’s a post coming soon), I want to talk with one particular person – the woman caught in adultery and brought before Jesus. Her story is found in John 8:1-11*. Remember that the Pharisees hated Jesus and devised a plot to trap Him (v. 5-6).
When Jesus appeared in the temple courts, the religious leaders brought a woman who had been caught in adultery – but only the woman. They confronted Jesus with the Law of Moses that commanded her to be stoned to death. Then they asked Him, “Now, what do you say?” And Jesus said nothing at first. He stooped down and wrote in the dirt and finally said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone” (v. 7). And no one did. They all slowly walked away. Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were; “Has no one condemned you?” (v. 10). “No one, sir,” she answered. “Then neither do I . . .” he replied.
We have John’s perspective but I want to see this through the woman’s eyes. I have so many questions – starting with what Jesus wrote in the dirt. A Scripture about intentional sin or maybe judging others? Perhaps the names of everyone in the crowd who had slept with her? I suspect that whatever He wrote convicted them as much as what He said. I want to see the compassion she found in His eyes and the gentle conviction in His words to her: “Go now, and leave your life of sin” (v. 11).
And I want to know about her life after that encounter. Surely she took His words to heart and left her life of sin. She must have been a changed woman. Most of all, I want to know how she left all her shame and guilt over her past. How did she live out the rest of her days? I expect she would say something like: “Covered in God’s grace.”
Shame and guilt and regret are the biggest burdens many of us bear. But we don’t have to. God’s grace is sufficient to cover them all. Paul said, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds more” (Rom 5:20). That means you and I can hand that sack of shame over to Jesus. Beloved, you aren’t a pack-mule. You were made for grace.

*Note: I acknowledge that some scholars doubt the authenticity of this passage as it is not found in the earliest manuscripts of John’s gospel. But it was accepted by the most influential early church fathers such as Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine. The church has long held that it records an authentic episode from the life of Christ. And I trust that God has worked throughout the centuries to preserve His Holy, Sacred Word.

Advent 2023: Mary’s Remembrances

Image: “Mary and Baby Jesus” by Jean Keaton
 https://www.jeankeatonart.com/…/pro…/mary-and-baby-jesus

Of the four gospels, only Matthew and Luke include the birth narrative. Matthew’s perspective is very different from his fellow writer’s. Together both give us a beautiful picture but I love Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth because, according to church tradition, it is Mary’s own recollections. Only Mary could recall intimate details about Gabriel’s visit the remarkable announcement: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (vs. 31-32). She remembered her question “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (v. 34), and the angel’s reply about the Holy Spirit’s part in the conception.
Mary even remembered Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy and her aged cousin’s joyful greeting, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed I the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (vs. 42, 43). And “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (v. 45). Mary shared the song she sang: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . .” (vs. 46-55). Mary recalled the shepherds who told about the angel’s song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (2:14).
Luke included more than just the birth story as Mary also remembered when Jesus was presented in the temple according to the law and the old man and woman who spoke powerfully about her son (2:25-38). She remembered 12-year-old Jesus alone in Jerusalem, and how He amazed the Jewish teachers by speaking with authority beyond His years (2:41-50). His mother recalled him saying, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? (v. 49).
Luke said that Mary, “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, 51). I’m so glad she did because she and Luke gave us the most detailed, intimate account of our Savior’s birth and early glimpses of His ministry. I am sure she pulled those memories out as she watched Him die on the cross.
Beloved, on this Christmas Day, amid the fun and presents and family, take some time to read both accounts and thank God for His most marvelous gift of love.

Advent 2023: Waiting for Jesus

“Simeon’s Moment” Ron DiCianni

The old man shuffling through the temple courts was a common sight. You could tell exactly what time of day it was when Simeon came around. Same gait, same expression, the same sense of yearning. But today there was something different about him. He was excited, his eyes darted around and his feet moved as if every step was determined by a force outside of himself. Suddenly his weathered face lit up like a thousand candles as his arms extended towards a young couple. With Jesus cradled in his arms the old man began to speak in the sing-song voice of worship: “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

Just then an old woman came up to the little group, her eyes bright with wonder and fixed on the infant in Simeon’s arms. “This is Him! This is the One! Oh, praise the name of the Lord – He has sent the Redemption of Israel!” Simeon smiled at Anna and nodded his head in agreement with her proclamation. They had both held tightly to the assurance that God would one day comfort and redeem His people and he was glad to share this glorious moment with his friend.

For the two elderly people, the baby was the fulfillment of a promise they had long held to and yearned to see. Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, had been assured by God that he would see the Hope of mankind before he died. Anna, widowed early in her life, had dedicated her years to worship, fasting, and praying for the Messiah to come. It had been such a long time – not just their lifetime, but hundreds of years for the oppressed nation of Israel. In the temple courts that day, their faith was rewarded and they received the child with great Joy.

How do you hold on when the promise of God is a long time in coming? Just like Simeon and Anna did – with faith. They never wavered in their expectations. They never stopped believing that every promise God made was as sure as His name – El Emunah, The Faithful God. Beloved, His name still stands today. You can wait in faith because God is still always and forever faithful. Christmas is the blessed proof that He will never fail to do what He says He will do.

Advent 2023: Life Interrupted

She stood in the dim light of the early morning with her hand over her belly and her heart full of awe and wonder at the life growing within her. It was all so surreal. She tried to remember every detail but it was so wonderful and frightening at the same time. She pulled her cloak tighter around her and noticed that she was trembling – fear mixed with excitement ran like shockwaves through her small frame. She remembered the angel’s words and every inflection of his voice. “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (Luke 1:30). Then the angel said that this child would “be called the Son of the Most High God” (v. 35). Oh my! Did he mean that she would be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah? She was a simple peasant girl from the nothing town of Nazareth.

In the stillness of the morning, the angel’s announcement still rang in her ears. She repeated aloud the words she said to him that day as if reassuring herself and reaffirming her willingness, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v. 38).

Mary’s quiet, well-planned life was suddenly interrupted by God. Her highest aspirations were to marry Joseph and fill their home with lots of children. But now she was in a most scandalous situation, one that could cost her this man she loved, her hopes and dreams, and possibly even her life. Yet she humbly surrendered herself to the will of God and embraced an unknown future with awe and wonder and faith.

When God interrupts our lives, it rarely comes preannounced by an angel. It usually involves a heart-wrenching phone call, a doctor’s sad face, a police officer’s knock at your door, your teenage daughter’s morning sickness, or a memo that the company is downsizing. It often comes with brokenness, pain, disappointment, anxiety, and tears. We don’t often get advanced notice of life-altering occurrences as Mary did. Still, we can respond with the same humble submission and faith that she exhibited. Why? Because God is with us in the unexpected, just as He was with Mary. Because He still has a plan and a purpose. Because none of these life-shaking events have taken Him by surprise. And because, Beloved, there is still nothing that is impossible with God.

God is Mindful of You

When her cousin Elizabeth blessed the Baby in her womb, Mary broke out in praise. Luke 1:46-55 is called “The Magnificat for the first words of her song: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” – “My soul glorifies the Lord.” Her reasons run from individual to worldwide – all declaring His faithfulness. One particular statement in her song always stands out to me.

She said, “He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant”. (v. 48) The NLT renders this “He took notice of His lowly servant girl.” But not because she was anything special.  While certain denominations exalt her to almost God-like status, Mary was just one more girl living in a poor Judean village – she had no wealth, no standing, no theological or religious education – but the Lord God of Heaven and Earth “took notice” of her. And she was amazed that God had given her such a divine blessing.

I wonder if you feel unnoticed, overlooked, or disregarded. Day after day you do the thing – care for your family, work a long day at your job, pour over the books as you study, sit with sick loved ones (or maybe not-so-loved ones), wipe noses and bottoms (your own littles or someone else’s), clean floors and dishes. Maybe you come home to a quiet empty apartment every day, or to kids looking to you alone to meet their wants and needs. You are probably wondering how to stretch a little money a long way and when you will ever get a break. Does anyone see you? Does anyone care?

Yes, beloved – God sees you and God cares. Mary praised the God who took notice of her – a lowly servant girl in a poor village. This was the same God who was named “El Roi” – the God who sees me – by a pregnant Egyptian slave girl on the run in the desert. Hagar named her son “Ishmael,” which means “God hears.” He is the very same God who sees and hears you – every tear, every sigh, every lonely, exhausted night, every whispered prayer for help and strength. You are not unnoticed dear one. The God who created you, who sent His Son to die for you, is mindful of you. He loves you. He has His eyes fixed on you. Beloved, you are precious in His sight.

Acts: Lydia and the Miracle of Faith

Women didn’t have many prominent roles in the Bible. The Jewish faith and culture was patriarchal – dominated by men – and had little opportunities for woman.  But women – then and now – have always been influential in the church. Women are essential to the work of God’s Kingdom.

Lydia was the first European convert to Christianity. Her story starts in Acts 16:11-15. She was a wealthy businesswoman who lived in the town of Philippi and she “was a worshiper of God” (v. 14) – a Gentile who believed in the God of the Israelites. She was meeting with several other women beside a river, outside of the city, to pray. Jewish law required a minimum of ten men to organize a synagogue. We don’t know the number of women that were gathered together that day, but it didn’t matter as women were not counted in trying to create a quorum. Women were permitted to gather in groups to pray, but any formal, public worship or reading of the Torah, or the giving of public blessings required at least the minimum of men.

Philippi is the first place that Paul and company stopped after the Lord spoke to him in a dream (see v 9-10). They joined the women at the river’s edge and began to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. Luke said that she and some of her household believed and were baptized. Afterward she invited the missionary team to her home. Eventually, the budding church in Philippi found a home in Lydia’s home (Acts 16:40).

The world is filled with people who are aware of God, who “believe in God” but who still do not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. James said that “even the demons believe that there is a God – and they tremble” (Ja 2:19), but they don’t combine it with faith (see Heb 4:2). They lack the faith Lydia had to see that Jesus is the true son of God and the only hope we have of redemption. Yet that faith didn’t originate with Lydia. Luke said, “The Lord opened her heart” (v. 14). Faith is a gift from God. It is given, not manufactured. And that is how we must pray for our lost loved ones. Beloved, do you have someone in your life who “believes in God,” but doesn’t have saving faith in God? Pray, “Lord, open his heart to the truth.” “Lord, give her faith to believe you.” Ask God to do a miracle in their heart. That is His specialty you know.

In God’s Eyes

How do others see you?  How do you see yourself? More importantly, how does God see you?

Take the demonic in the tombs of the Gerasenes. His family saw him as evil, fearsome, and unworthy of human contact, but Jesus saw him as free and “in his right mind” (Mk 5:15).  The woman with the issue of blood saw herself as unclean, but Jesus saw her as a “daughter” worthy of compassion and healing (Luke 8:48). Simon the Pharisee saw a woman washing Jesus’ feet as a “sinful woman,” Jesus saw her as an example of love and forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50). Though the Samaritan woman’s neighbors regarded her as the town tramp, Jesus saw her as His messenger (John 4).  He saw Mary Magdalene, whom the whole town knew as a demon-possessed woman as the first witness to proclaim His resurrection (John 20:10-18).

Here’s one more: When the twelve spies of Israel went through Canaan, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers in our own eyes” (Nu 13:33). The people rebelled and refused to go in and take the land that God had already declared to be theirs. Because of their unbelief, the whole nation wandered in the wilderness until that entire faithless generation died. God took their children where they refused to go. To the Promised Land.

My friend, God sees you and me far more clearly than we could ever see ourselves.  Who you are in the sight of others, or even in your own eyes, is not who you are in the sight of God who created you, loves you, and redeemed you.  Where others see you through your mistakes, God sees you with all the potential He placed in you from before you were born.  When we see ourselves through the worldly standards of beauty and success, God sees us through the beauty of His Son and His victory over death.  When we see ourselves as unworthy, hopeless, useless, and unwanted He sees us as valuable, treasured, and desired, because He sees us through eyes of love and compassion.

How do others see you?  How do you see yourself?  When you consider those questions, always return to this truth: God sees you as precious and honored, and yes, Beloved. Ask Him to give you His perspective so you can live as the child of God that you are.

Acts: The Greatest Miracle

Acts 9 covers two major events in the life of the early church, the conversion and ministry of Saul (verses 1-31) and Peter’s miracles in Lydda and Joppa (verses 32-42), one of which is dear to my heart, as you will soon see.

Peter was traveling about visiting the believers – or saints – in Judea. In Lydda, he met a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed for eight years. Peter boldly claimed, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.” And the man immediately rose from his mat, completely healed. Meanwhile, in Joppa, a disciple – a follower of Jesus – had blessed her community by making robes and other clothing for her poor neighbors. Her name was Dorcas, (also called Tabitha) and she “was full of good works which she did” (Acts 9:36). Now you understand why I love her story.

Dorcas became very sick and died, leaving many grief-stricken people behind. Her body was washed and laid in a room while someone from the community sent for Peter. Why would they send for Peter? The woman was dead – what could he possibly do for her now? Preach her funeral? Or perhaps – raise her from the dead?

Peter came, cleared the room, knelt down and prayed. I’ve often wondered what he prayed. Maybe something similar to Jesus’ prayer when he raised Lazarus from the dead. He certainly sounded like Jesus when he said, “Tabitha, get up” (v. 40). What else could she do but open her eyes and get up?

That is a great story of a great miracle, but there is another miracle that often gets overlooked. Verse 42 says that “This became known all over Joppa and many people believed in the Lord.” The second miracle is how the story of Dorcas spread and her neighbor’s lives were changed forever.  

If you’ve followed my posts for very long you know that I’m pretty open about my life. Some might say a little too open but it’s because I want you to see the power, grace, goodness, and love of God – even if I have to show you the uglier side of me. Because the greatest miracle of all is when someone hears about the God of my life it draws them closer to Him.

God can use everything – every single thing in your life to bring people to Christ. Even the hard things. Especially the hard things. He’s building your testimony through them. Beloved, if God has brought you to something hard it’s not to destroy you but to make your life a light that guides people to Jesus.

I know. I’m living proof.

Turning a Wreck into a Thing of Beauty

The old white car sat on the side of the road, pushed out to the edge of the property. The tires were gone and its front end was buckled from some sort of impact. I passed it every morning on my way to work – it wasn’t a pretty sight. That is until the early spring. One morning I noticed green vines had begun to curl out from the crumpled hood and around the back end. A tiny sign of life in the dead vehicle. Day by day the vines progressed taking over more and more of the broken-down car. Then came the flowers – bright purple blooms swarming over the vines and covering the car until it became a beautiful sight to behold. I would look over at the lovely mound of flowers lifting their faces to the sun and I’d smile.

Your life may feel like a wreck today. It may be choices you made or a series of circumstances you couldn’t control. It might be something you did or something that was done to you. A health crisis, the loss of a loved one, a financial disaster, or a foolish mistake. The result is the same. There you sit – broken, pushed aside, feeling like a useless mess. What could you have to look forward to? What can you possibly contribute to the kingdom of God?

A lot, actually, because God specializes in calling life from death (Rom 4:17) and bringing beauty from ashes (Is 61:3). He turned a lowly shepherd into a king (2 Sam 5:4) and outcast women into evangelists (Jn 4; 20:10-18). He took fishermen and tax collectors and made them proclaimers of the good news (Mat 9:9; Mk 1:16-20). Church history is filled with stories of the transforming power of Christ.*  

There is no one – not even you – who is beyond God’s touch.  If you will allow Him, His love will turn your broken-down life into a garden of splendor. I know it’s true because He did it for me. Beloved, won’t you let Him make your life into a thing of beauty today?

*Watch for a new series about the history of the church starting January 31^st.