Dirty Feet

The disciples didn’t have the luxury of wearing a nice pair of Asic Gels, Nike Shox, or Ostrich-skin boots. They wore sandals in the first century. Leather sandals. There was plenty of dirt and dust on the Roman Empire roads and village pathways to get everyone’s feet dirty. That’s why in the nice homes, the servant would cleanse the guest’s feet with water. We needed some foot-washers during the church softball league because I ruined bout ten pairs of socks. I’m still dumping sand and dirt out of my shoes! That stuff gets everywhere.

I’m thinking of Peter right now, reclined at the table on the evening before Jesus was betrayed and crucified. And I’m thinking of what must have gone through his mind when Jesus got up and took off his clothes, stripped down to his loin cloth and girded himself with a towel to wash his disciples feet. Believing that Jesus was the Messiah, and the Son of God, how difficult it must have been to watch someone who was worthy of your servitude and obeisance, kneel down before you and pour water over your dirty feet and dusty toes.

Preposterous Grace
The idea of the omnipotent God washing my dirty feet is preposterous. But isn’t grace preposterous?There is a secret pride in the heart of all us, I suspect, like Peter’s. “I will not allow you, Lord, to wash my feet!” As Colonel Hathi exclaimed in Jungle Book, ‘A female leading my herd, that’s preposterous!’ The idea of the omnipotent God washing my dirty feet is preposterous. But isn’t grace preposterous? Preposterous means ‘contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd; utterly foolish.’ It’s absurd that God would place himself in a position of servanthood and wash my dirty feet. A foot-washing Savior? That is preposterous! What’s more absurd is that He would die for me on a cross. It’s absurd that God would mercifully forgive me. It’s absurd that God would love me. The whole gospel is absurd, and that’s what makes it glorious and fantastically true!

I think all of us find ourselves perplexed with Peter. We are actually offended at the thought of Jesus washing our feet. It’s offensive to our sense of self-worth and self-righteousness. We should be washing his feet. But the fact is, we don’t have a choice as a Jesus-follower. He must wash our feet. It’s not a choice we get to make. He must wash our feet. We need him to wash our feet. Jesus, the Servant-God, washes our feet, and without His washing our spiritual steps would be insignificant.

Do You Understand What I Have Done for You?
The Bible says, “When he finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place” (John 13:12a). Jesus delivered a heart-felt, poignant final message to his followers. As he dressed, and returned to his seat at the table, he asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” More than a mere foot-cleaning, and more than some spiritual pedicure, Jesus modeled the tangible love He inspires and expects to be exchanged between people who love Him and bear His name.

It's Good to Hear Your Voice

God created the human voice as a masterful and mysterious mark of every person’s uniqueness. The Psalmist said, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14 NIV). One of the distinctive qualities that make each and every one of us special is the sound of our voice. The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “The human voice is the organ of the soul.” The voice God gave you is the bridge connecting who you are in your spirit to others around you.
A couple of Sunday mornings ago, I arrived for the early bird worship celebration and was visiting with someone in the back of the auditorium. Jan Carrell was sitting in the back and as I walked in, she greeted me by saying, “It’s so good to hear your voice!” I really like that kind of greeting. It’s different than, “Nice to see ya!” or “How ya doin’?” The voice is one of the most intimate and intricate connections we have with one another. It is strange that you cannot see or touch a person’s voice, but yet the sound of it distinctly identifies who the person is. Connected to a person’s voice is the quality and authority of who that person is.
Jesus magnified this point when He taught His followers about the shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. Jesus said,

“The watchman opens the gate for him (the shepherd), and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:3-4 NIV)

Several years ago, I was deported from a Southeast Asian country during a special trip. After a twenty-four hour plane flight, the authorities put me immediately on a flight out of the country. Another long twenty-four hour flight ensued, including two stops. During the duration of the flight, I had no access to a phone. At the stops, authorities were waiting for me with a placard with my name on it. I was prevented from using the phone to call Beth or my church. For almost fifty hours, I could not hear the voices of my family and friends. When I arrived in Los Angeles, I immediately called Beth and my family. To use Jan Carrell’s greeting, “It was so good to hear their voices!”
One of life’s greatest experiences is hearing God’s voice, as He speaks to us out of the Word of God, providential experiences, prayer and relationships. Whether the Father is calling you to a task, tugging at your heartstrings, or dealing with a sinful problem in your life, hearing His voice is the most important discipline of a Jesus-follower. Have you heard the voice of the Father lately?

Special Assignment

Last week, I was talking with one of our local Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. We were trying to organize a small ministry event at the church, and he told me that he was on special assignment. I thought that sounded really cool and important. I’ve always wanted to tell someone, legitimately, that I’m on special assignment, but my special assignments are digging in the refrigerator at 11:30 p.m. for a snack, or cleaning out the carcasses of moths and june bugs off my garage floor. Somedays, my special assignment is to smile and say hello to all the staff at the office before I have my first cup of java. I think my buddy’s special assignment as a patrolman had a little more gravity than any of my special assignments.

The Assignment
Jesus-followers live their whole lives on special assignment. Sometimes we forget how special the assignment is, and sometimes we just want to be special without executing the assignment. The word assignment is derived from a simple word—assign. We have been assigned a task from our Leader, Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)
Traditionally, this passage of Scripture has been called The Great Commission (a.k.a Special Assignment). Behind every special assignment is a figurehead or powerful person who lends authority to the assignment. Jesus is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He told the disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…..Go, therefore, and make disciples….” No power or authority can squash the power and authority Jesus displays in the Kingdom of God. Political movements, governments, kingdoms, dynasties, and totalitarian dictators throughout history have attempted to put down the unstoppable force of the Kingdom of God. All their efforts have been to no avail. The church of Jesus Christ is still growing and penetrating the dark regions of the world. The force of Jesus’ movement has been displayed simply through the lives of Jesus-followers who have taken Jesus’ special assignment of making disciples seriously.

The Tools for the Task
When a man or a woman decide that they are going to get serious about making disciples, instead of becoming intoxicated with the idea of producing church members, then the Spirit of God begins to work in transformational ways. We have been authorized by Jesus to make disciples. Making disciples is God’s agenda for the expansion of the Kingdom of God in our circles of influence. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples. The Word of God is our curriculum for forming Christlikeness in others as we make disciples. God has given us prayer as the means of communicating with God about making disciples. The special assignment that God calls every Jesus-follower to be committed to is making disciples. He has equipped you to form and fashion Christ in the lives of others through discipling relationships.
The next time you reflect on your Christian life and you feel like God hasn’t used you for anything special. Look around at the people in your life that God has placed in your circle of influence. These people are your mission field. And making disciples of them is your special assignment.