Washing

By: Kari Vo
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April 10, 2025

"During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet ...." (John 13:2-5a ESV)

I'm not surprised Peter cried out when Jesus started to wash his feet. That's a really intimate thing, and how hard it is to accept God Himself putting His clean hands on our dirty feet to help us! We draw back and protest—"No, Lord, that's not right." But Jesus says, "If I don't wash you, you don't belong to Me."

What is He talking about? Not just washing feet—washing hearts. Jesus comes to us, putting His clean, innocent hands on our sinful, corrupt hearts, and washing us clean again. That's intimate, isn't it? He knows the worst of us. That's humbling—that He loves us so much He does this daily, as a matter of course.

Because it's true—if He doesn't wash us, doesn't forgive us, then we don't belong to Him. Every Christian is washed clean by Jesus through His suffering and death on the cross. We cannot keep Him at arm's length if we want to be His—we must let Him do what He wants with us. And what He wants is to make us new, clean, blessed children of God, fit for God's kingdom, living in the joy and hope of Jesus' resurrection.

Let Him wash you.

We Pray: Lord Jesus, wash me clean—and draw me close to You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever had someone wash your feet?
* If so, how did you feel?
* Why does God want to be so close to us, even when we're dirty?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 8, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

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