I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of stinky feet around my home! Whether it’s sweaty gym shoes, dancing barefoot in ballet shoes, soggy snow boots, or a child’s favorite rain boots… there are some serious smells lurking. I myself am no innocent party- often wearing cute boots or flats without socks.
In the summer time- I love to give myself a good foot soak in the tub. Especially when my little piggies become stanky or dirty and I am pressed for time (and a shower simply cannot happen). The simple act of washing my feet makes me feel quite refreshed, relaxed, and ready to tackle what’s next in my day.
Now if you too enjoy a good soak for the toesies, you are not alone! Did you know that even in the Bible feet washing was a thing?
Way back when, feet were just really dirty. Probably more so then versus current day. Most people sported sandals and walked unpaved or dirty streets (that often doubled as sewers and channels). Washing feet needed to occur frequently, as entering another persons home, a business, or place of worship required some level of cleanliness. Even in Jesus’s time, he washed his feet and also his disciples.
But why? Why did Jesus wash his friends dirty, icky, smelly, stanky feet? Long story short- he was trying to teach them (and us) yet another lesson.
The lesson was that we are no better than someone else on this earth. Everyone is equal in God’s eyes. There is no one beneath us or above us that we cannot talk to, listen to, empathize with, or serve.
Jesus was leading by example that day when he was washing his friend’s feet. Jesus was teaching that we are to serve each other- even when we don’t want to, even when it’s hard, stinky, smelly, inconvenient, or just down right unappealing.
At the end of the feet washing party, Jesus says “If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must wash each other's feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you. In all truth I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:14-16).
So the next time you run across some smelly shoes, I first urge you to spray that febreeze and secondly to think about Jesus that day. How can you best serve your neighbor? A friend? A family member? A Coworker?
Maybe even treat yourself a good foot soak as you make a mental (or physical) list of how God would use you to show his love to those people around you.
Girls- let’s be more like Jesus and wash those feet!