Washing of our path

The family of God

The feeling belonging and being a part of a community is a part of our identity. Our community plays a major role in who we become in life. There is this proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child” of which gives us the sense of community. One of the things that makes a community is that it’s members must have the mind frame for it. That is why the apostle Paul tells the church in Rome that they need to be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Ro12:2). God always wanted to be included in the community of men, and therefore allow us to be part of his family (Eph2:18-19) through Christ Jesus our Lord. The sense of belonging is an intimate feeling that each member of the family or the community needs to have. There are certain things that each member of the family/community must do in order for others to feel a part of, for example loving one another. The trademark in God’s family is love, Jesus said that if you love another everyone will know that we are his disciples (Jh13:35). In our society today this feeling of community, because of the crime spree is depreciating. Because when one hurts the members of his community, the feeling of inclusion is less felt. 

John 13:6-9

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Right before Jesus was taken and crucified, the night of the last supper he washed his disciple’s feet. Now, scholars agree that as soon as Judas dipped his piece of bread along with Jesus’ and is dismissed off the table, Jesus took of his robe and began washing the rest of the disciple’s feet. Leading us to understand that the kingdom of sin cannot participate in the fellowship of the family of God. This act of the washing of feet was a sacred moment within the family of God and all sereness should be taken. In fact, after Peter resisted, Jesus told him that if he did not participate, he could not have part with Christ and be excluded; that is how series was this practice. Peter then said if that is the case then wash me completely and not just his feet. Paul says that Jesus gave himself up for the church in order to cleanse her with the word (Eph5:26). God spoke through Jeremiah that he was going to cleanse us from all our sins (Jer33:8), because it is our sins that contaminate us and make us unclean. Jesus told Peter that they were already clean, and that all they needed was their feet to be cleansed. 

But what does it mean that our feet are the only thing that needs to be cleansed? Our feet represent our day-to-day activities or natural lives. The way we conduct ourselves with and around others is our natural lives and that is what needs to be cleansed. And in the family of God, we need to wash how we have treated each other clean. Jesus told the disciples that the same way he as Lord and master did to them, they need to do to each other.  Paul tells the Galatian church (Ga6:10) that we need to pay special attention to the family of God. The Orientals wore sandals and after their journeys they would take them off when entering their homes and wash their feet. The washing not only cleansed their feet but also refreshed them. And in the family of God, we not only need to help each other wash our paths but refresh each other.  The scripture tells us that we need seek to the things that edify other (Ro14:19).