Am I Really Willing TO Wash Dirty Feet?
BY Marty Norman
“Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:14
I have a game that I play with my grandchildren. Bending over as far as I can, I look them deep in the eye and ask, “Do you know how much I love you?” Their eyes widen as they shake their heads no, anticipating my response.
“This much” I exclaim, as I stand on my tiptoes, stretching my arms as wide as they will go. “That’s how much I love you -- and more! And you know what? God loves you even more than that!” And then I give them a big bear hug.
They get the picture.
What a great way to demonstrate not only my love but the height, depth, and width of the love of Christ with a visual image spoken in the language of grandchildren.
I can’t help but contrast that with the world’s view of love – the celebration of Valentine’s Day, a secular holiday that grows in importance each year. From January 1 until February 14, consumers are offered a never ending selection of hearts, flowers, candy, cards, and gifts. One would think that the size of love is measured by the amount of money spent on gifts.
Valentine’s Day has turned into a secular holiday whose origins started with good intentions but has now gotten out of hand. A stroll down the aisle at the Hallmark store reveals a plethora of choices. You name it, they got it. Cards are now available for aunts, friends, neighbors – any and everyone just to let them know we love them.
Try to guess how large this holiday has become? The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year making it second only to Christmas in the card-sending category. I bet the retailer’s are having a field day on this one.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love Valentine’s Day as much as the next guy. Just like everyone else, I comb the racks for the perfect card. Last year I found a Barbie card for Lily, a Thomas card for James, a card with a money slot for Jack, and a singing card for Strother. But even I know that if my words do not match my actions, the message of the card is meaningless.
Why am I telling you all this?
To emphasize that celebrating love is not a new thing, it has gone on for years. But celebrating agape love – love that is unconditional and eternal – is something we grandmothers know and can do something about. We’ve lived it. We’ve been buried, burned, surrounded, and embraced by love. We have taken, shared, taught, given, and received love. We’ve experienced the different kinds of love. We know love that heals wounds and from whence it came. We have experienced its eternal nature that it comes from the heart. We know that love is internal, intentional, and an act of the will. It is a choice we make to put another before ourselves. It comes from the inside out.
The question I ask myself: if I know all this, why do I not follow Jesus’ admonition to love all the time? He states in John, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. Clearly he speaks of godly love, not worldly love.
He also tells us that if we love we are to be a servant … that the last shall be first … that we are to wash one another’s feet. These are hard teachings but worthy of a grandmother’s ponderings.
How to go a step beyond in love with our grandchildren? How to wash dirty feet in the midst of a world obsessed with germs? How to instruct and model Christ-like love for grandchildren? How to get down and dirty doing unto others that may or may not do unto me.
Jesus took on the role of servant to serve his disciples, to wash their feet, a custom in that day performed by the lowest of servants. It should not be surprising, therefore, that he calls us to serve others also, in any way that glorifies God. Demonstrating and teaching our grandchildren this spiritual truth is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.
Let’s take a look at dirty feet. A working definition for me is anything that does for another at some expense to me. In other words, doing a servant’s job, putting ourselves second in whatever way is pleasing or needed by another.
Washing feet can take many forms. One way might be to take grandchildren to the homeless shelter on either Christmas or Thanksgiving to serve. I haven’t done this yet but it is on my to-do list. Serving at the table is a good way to start with young kids. Even Strother, age two, loves to help set and clear the table.
But I’ve decided to go a step beyond and do more. This year I am going to make an intentional effort to walk the talk, to back up my words with actions. I’m not sure exactly how I am going to do this, but keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunity is the first step. Keeping the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in the forefront will be a big help; getting down and dirty; tackling the hard things in life; loving and serving the seemingly unlovable; and making my actions match my words.
Next I plan to talk more about scriptural love with my grandchildren. I will look for opportunities to tell more Bible stories using life situations to catapult me into biblical teachings. Seeing with spiritual eyes will enable the application process. Maybe this year I will include a scripture with my valentine card.
And last but not least, I am determined to be bolder in teaching the good news of the gospel. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” (John 3:16) The Book of Common Prayer says it so much more eloquently than I: (Rite II p. 362), “He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to (God’s) will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.”
Jesus stretched out his arms with the big “I love you” and gave us this biggest bear hug ever in the form of salvation and forgiveness of sins. This type of love is hard to understand. Love that is so big, so deep, so wide, that he laid down his life for us.
Teaching about arms that not only washed dirty feet but stretched out on the cross for love, is that a foot washing or what?
As a savvy grandmother I can’t think of a better way to teach my grandchildren about love.
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