“Yes, we each have a Buster, but we also have a basin. We’ve been wounded, perhaps deeply. But haven’t we been forgiven preemptively? Before we knew we needed grace, we were offered it. . . . The Master takes my container, fills it with cleansing grace, and washes away my sins. All my betrayals sink like silt to the bottom of the bowl. Jesus throws them out.”- Max Lucado
“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”- John 13:3-5 (NLT)
As Max Lucado continues Chapter 10 of How Happiness Happens, he talks about John’s account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. First, Pastor Lucado wonders how long it took Jesus to complete the cleansing. If Jesus took two or three minutes per foot, Max surmises, Jesus took over an hour to complete His humble act. Furthermore, consider that Jesus’ time with His followers was fast running out. Yet, Max states, “Jesus chose to use it in this silent sacrament of humility.”
However, later that night the disciples understood the full impact of Jesus’ gesture. Although they pledged to stay with Jesus, Pastor Lucado notes, those ‘waxy’ pledges melted in the heat of the Roman torches. Finally, when the disciples stopped sprinting and plopped to the ground, the realized that Jesus gave them grace before they knew they needed it.
In conclusion, Max states:
“Jesus could do this because he knew who he was — sent from and destined for heaven. And you? Do you know who you are? You are the creation of a good God, made in his image. . . . Secure in who you are, you can do what Jesus did. Throw away the robe of rights and expectation and make the most courageous of moves. Wash feet.”
Today’s question: How has Jesus used a basin to cleanse you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Applying your undeserved mercy”