Street Cleaners and Foot Washing

This morning as I was walking to Bible study (all uphill!), it was a little difficult to keep consistent footing because there were so many leaves on the sidewalk.  It had rained recently and walking on wet leaves can be a bit tricky.  Halfway up the hill, I encountered public service people cleaning the sidewalk and street.  It was a joint affair - one man sweeping the leaves, another behind him with a large water hose spraying the leaves from the sidewalk to the gutter and finally a big truck gathered the leaves from the curb and vacuumed them into the truck.  After passing the workmen, my trek was much easier: the path was clean and there were no obstructions.

Starting my walk, I really hadn't thought about the leaves or the mud.  I was just trying to work my way through them or around them.  The pathway didn't really look dirty to me.  In fact, I didn't think about it until after I had passed the workmen and was treading on clean pavement.

If you are a believer in Jesus, in the family of God, you have been cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus. Believers still sin and should confess their sins, but God tells us He stands ready to forgive those sins and have us return to fellowship with Him.

Sometimes, though, like the leaves on my pathway, we hardly notice the things that need moving out of the way.  We walk through those things or around them without giving it much thought.  Everyday obstructions of the world become so commonplace we aren't even aware that our pathway needs a washing.  Those obstructions can be anything: a sin, a worry, a disease, a concern about a loved one, a problem with our job. There is a constant need to check for things that need to be cleaned up in our lives: anything that might hinder us from following the Lord without interference.  A clean, clear path is much easier to follow than one that has to be maneuvered around.

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus made this point to His disciples.  He washed their feet.  As He told Peter, they were clean already because they had bathed, but a foot washing is necessary to get rid of the world's dirt and grime. When we submit to Jesus for a foot washing, He can remove some things - such as sin or worry. Other things that are not in our control, but obstruct our path, we can simply give to Him to carry - such as ill health or a concern about a loved one.  After all, He is the one who walks beside us as we travel.

We often come to Jesus in prayer and praise Him, thank Him, ask Him for guidance or direction and bring all kinds of concerns to Him.  He delights when we do that. We should pray for all those things.  Before we bring any of our concerns to Him in prayer, though, it would be a good idea to ask Him first if we need a foot washing.  Is there anything in your life that would hinder you from walking a straight path for Him today?

Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you" (John 13:8-10).