Devotional
There’s something deeply intimate about Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. It wasn’t just about cleaning dirt; it was about acceptance. Jesus knew exactly who these men were—their flaws, their failures, their future betrayals—yet He knelt before them in an act of profound love and service. When Peter protested, Jesus responded with words that reveal the deeper meaning of this act: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” This wasn’t just about clean feet; it was about cleansing hearts. It was about Jesus accepting us as we are, yet loving us too much to leave us that way. This is the pattern of God’s love throughout Scripture. He meets us in our mess, in our brokenness, in our sin. He doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up first—He comes to us right where we are. But He doesn’t leave us there. His love cleanses, transforms, and renews. In baptism, God washes away our sin and claims us as His own. Each day, as we confess our failures and receive His forgiveness, He continues to cleanse us. He doesn’t just tolerate our presence; He delights in us as His beloved children. And now, having been cleansed by His love, we’re called to extend that same cleansing love to others. We’re called to accept people as they are, to serve them in their mess, and to point them toward the One who can truly make them clean. This is what it means to love as Jesus loved—to see beyond the dirt to the beloved child of God beneath.
Bible Verse
“Where I am going you cannot come.” – John 13:33
Reflection Question
Is there someone in your life you’ve been keeping at arm’s length because of their “messiness”? How might God be calling you to extend cleansing love to them?
Quote
“Wherever you’ve been, whatever you have walked through, whatever muck and gross stuff is caked to your feet, even that stuff that gets under your toenails. I’m here to clean that out and much more than that. But in love, I’m cleansing all of you.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me in my messiness, for cleansing me through Your sacrifice, and for continuing to wash me daily through Your forgiveness. Help me to extend that same cleansing love to others—to accept them as they are while pointing them to Your transforming grace. Give me the courage to enter into others’ messy lives with Your love. Amen.
