Jesus replied, "A person who has bathed all over does
not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean." John 13:10 NLT
"Fingerprints all over the place."
My oldest grandson called the dirty storm door to my
attention as he and his younger brother stood looking over the back yard. Of
course, he failed to mention both of them were the reason for the smudges. Since
we keep them six days a week, keeping it clean was an exercise in futility I'd
almost given up on.
"Handprints are more like it" I snickered.
"You need to clean it, Pop," he said.
A Type A personality like myself, he can't stand
dirt-or smudges. I walked by and left the door alone. Since we were moving in a
couple of weeks, I had even more reason to ignore the grimy paw prints. When I
decide to clean the door-probably just before we move, I won't replace the
entire door. I'll just take out the window cleaner and clean the glass portion.
Jesus proposed a similar scenario to His disciples.
They didn't need to wash all over-just their feet. They were totally cleansed
when they believed in Him and decided to be His followers. Now they merely
needed a daily sponge bath.
At nine years of age, I decided to do what these early
disciples did-trust Jesus as my Savior. Dad explained the gospel message of how
Jesus died for my sins. I believed and invited Him into my life. In that moment,
He cleansed me all over. Past, present, and future sins-of which there have been
many, were washed away. The price Jesus paid on Calvary for humanity's sins was
applied to me.
But what about the daily fingerprints that come from
putting my hands where they don't belong-like my grandchildren? They won't send
me to hell, because Jesus' blood has covered them. They will, however, interfere
with my spiritual vision as the fingerprints on the door cloud the view of the
backyard. Confession will clear away the smudges. My acknowledgement of my
failures and sins is what Jesus referred to when He mentioned a daily foot
washing.
Make confession a daily practice. It's good for the
soul and will keep your feet clean-and remove the smudges from the doors, so
interaction between the Savior and you can be open and clear.
Prayer: Father, keep us free from sin smudges so we
can hear You clearly when You speak.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
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