If She Have Washed The Saints Feet
Greetings fellow sister saints!
Praise God for all He provides! We have driven away from the city we were witnessing in the past few days and have an afternoon of peace and quiet in a park.
It's nearly 100 degrees today but we rejoice because we are sitting in the shade, working online ministry. I think of Jonah...
And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Jonah 4:6
But of course we know Jonah's heart wasn't right and God sent a worm to destroy that shade. Let us remember to give thanks in all things and do the will of the Lord.
Today I wanted to talk about foot washing and how it relates to both brother Jim and I. We see in John 13 where Jesus shows us the 'example' of being the lowest of servants by washing the disciples feet.
We see in 1 Timothy 5, the qualifications that a widow must meet in order to receive provisions from the body, including the washing of saints feet.
We know of various anabaptist groups that have a 'ritual' foot washing once a year in their religious body; they all know ahead of time when it's coming and they can prepare their feet for it. Brother Jim has tried to share with them that it's an 'example' (as scriptures say) for what the saints are to do for each other and he then gives other examples of how it would be done today (getting up in the middle of the night to help a brother or sister in trouble, driving many miles to visit a sick member of the body, being an ear for a brother or sister who needs advice even when you are sick or over tired yourself, daily care of an elderly person who cannot care for themselves, giving all of yourself, being humble etc.) He also explains that back in that time, washing the saints feet was a necessary action. You can read an article here from his discernment page.
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/foot-washing.html
What I want to write about is the depth of understanding that we have gotten from this area of scripture, in our own life in both figurative (as example) and literal (as in actually doing it when needed).
Back then, washing of the feet was a big deal as there were no modern conveniences of today nor the various shoes that we have available. For a widow (or anyone else) to do it, was a lowly, humbling job. That's exactly what a godly person (both male and female) is to be, humble and lowly, as we see our Savior exampling for us.
I'll share what we have learned in this area....
Even in this day of quality shoes and such, brother Jim and I choose to be frugal, simple and practical. In the warmer months I wear shoes like this and brother Jim's are similar.
We laughingly call these 'rubber' shoes:-) They are very inexpensive, we wear them without socks to stay cool in the summer and they last about a year before they wear thin. I'll be the first to admit that they don't start out being comfortable but as you wear them, they somewhat mold to your foot so they aren't too bad. I'm not saying everyone has to do what we do but I have to add this, glory to God! I used to have to buy better quality shoes because I have foot issues, but I killed my flesh and just started wearing these, knowing God will give me what I need. Today, I have less foot issues in these than I did in my 'quality' shoes of the past, all the glory to God and we walk all over, street preaching in these.
Even through some areas that are more difficult to tread through. (That picture was taken outside a worldly rodeo that we had to walk quite a ways from the parking spot to stand outside and hold our gospel signs.) You can read about some of the witnessing going on here in brother Jim's post about it:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2020/08/witnessing-updates.html
Anyway, this post isn't so much about the shoes, it's what happens after the day is done and the washing of the saints feet. We know what that's like, literally, in our life as our feet get very dirty and we don't have the modern conveniences of turning on a faucet or jumping in the shower every night in our off grid van life, on the road. There are times that after a long day on the streets, we are so tired we don't even feel like soaking our feet like we normally do, so we take turns washing one another's feet using wipes.
Yep, it's extremely humbling to wash someone else's dirty feet and it's just as humbling to have someone else touch your dirty feet. It's like the lowest of the low (literally on the ground), eliminating any loftiness in a person. It's like the basest of humble in a physical sense and we totally see why Jesus used it as an example. We see the literal and figurative depth to John 13 when He did this with the disciples and we see the high standard of the widow who did this to the saints.
And...how many of you are thinking of this right now?
What a picture of total humbleness like none other. It says she washed Jesus feet with her tears and unless they were flowing freely and abundantly, the dirt was still on His feet when she wiped them clean with her hair. She used her glory (hair, see 1 Corinthians 11) to wipe off the dirt.
Dirty feet, wet with tears and wiping it all off with your hair.
I don't know about you but it would take a great act of humbleness like none other, to do something like that, and I marvel that a lowly sinner (in her repentance) could set such a great standard of humbleness for us godly women to reach.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:10
Things like this help me examine myself deeper and dig around to see if there is anything lurking in me that shouldn't be. Jesus said we must lose our life to find it, that means everything we are inside too. Just the other day a mocking man was trying to contend with brother Jim when tattooe's came up. (He was covered in them and showing them off, not covering them up as a 'claimed' believer.) He said to brother Jim something very telling....
He said 'They are a part of me'. That's what many people think about their sins, making excuses for them as being part of who they are. Let us make sure we are not harboring anything that is a part of us that shouldn't be. Pride, vanity, loftiness in stature, thinking we are something when we aren't...
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12
I want to be as low as the woman at Jesus feet and if we continue on with a heart of humbleness, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can become that way.
I pray you are as blessed and humbled by this message.
Love and blessings,
Sister Deb
Praise God for all He provides! We have driven away from the city we were witnessing in the past few days and have an afternoon of peace and quiet in a park.
It's nearly 100 degrees today but we rejoice because we are sitting in the shade, working online ministry. I think of Jonah...
And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Jonah 4:6
But of course we know Jonah's heart wasn't right and God sent a worm to destroy that shade. Let us remember to give thanks in all things and do the will of the Lord.
Today I wanted to talk about foot washing and how it relates to both brother Jim and I. We see in John 13 where Jesus shows us the 'example' of being the lowest of servants by washing the disciples feet.
We see in 1 Timothy 5, the qualifications that a widow must meet in order to receive provisions from the body, including the washing of saints feet.
Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man. Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
1 Timothy 5:9-10We know of various anabaptist groups that have a 'ritual' foot washing once a year in their religious body; they all know ahead of time when it's coming and they can prepare their feet for it. Brother Jim has tried to share with them that it's an 'example' (as scriptures say) for what the saints are to do for each other and he then gives other examples of how it would be done today (getting up in the middle of the night to help a brother or sister in trouble, driving many miles to visit a sick member of the body, being an ear for a brother or sister who needs advice even when you are sick or over tired yourself, daily care of an elderly person who cannot care for themselves, giving all of yourself, being humble etc.) He also explains that back in that time, washing the saints feet was a necessary action. You can read an article here from his discernment page.
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/foot-washing.html
What I want to write about is the depth of understanding that we have gotten from this area of scripture, in our own life in both figurative (as example) and literal (as in actually doing it when needed).
Back then, washing of the feet was a big deal as there were no modern conveniences of today nor the various shoes that we have available. For a widow (or anyone else) to do it, was a lowly, humbling job. That's exactly what a godly person (both male and female) is to be, humble and lowly, as we see our Savior exampling for us.
I'll share what we have learned in this area....
Even in this day of quality shoes and such, brother Jim and I choose to be frugal, simple and practical. In the warmer months I wear shoes like this and brother Jim's are similar.
We laughingly call these 'rubber' shoes:-) They are very inexpensive, we wear them without socks to stay cool in the summer and they last about a year before they wear thin. I'll be the first to admit that they don't start out being comfortable but as you wear them, they somewhat mold to your foot so they aren't too bad. I'm not saying everyone has to do what we do but I have to add this, glory to God! I used to have to buy better quality shoes because I have foot issues, but I killed my flesh and just started wearing these, knowing God will give me what I need. Today, I have less foot issues in these than I did in my 'quality' shoes of the past, all the glory to God and we walk all over, street preaching in these.
Even through some areas that are more difficult to tread through. (That picture was taken outside a worldly rodeo that we had to walk quite a ways from the parking spot to stand outside and hold our gospel signs.) You can read about some of the witnessing going on here in brother Jim's post about it:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2020/08/witnessing-updates.html
Anyway, this post isn't so much about the shoes, it's what happens after the day is done and the washing of the saints feet. We know what that's like, literally, in our life as our feet get very dirty and we don't have the modern conveniences of turning on a faucet or jumping in the shower every night in our off grid van life, on the road. There are times that after a long day on the streets, we are so tired we don't even feel like soaking our feet like we normally do, so we take turns washing one another's feet using wipes.
Yep, it's extremely humbling to wash someone else's dirty feet and it's just as humbling to have someone else touch your dirty feet. It's like the lowest of the low (literally on the ground), eliminating any loftiness in a person. It's like the basest of humble in a physical sense and we totally see why Jesus used it as an example. We see the literal and figurative depth to John 13 when He did this with the disciples and we see the high standard of the widow who did this to the saints.
And...how many of you are thinking of this right now?
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Luke 7:38What a picture of total humbleness like none other. It says she washed Jesus feet with her tears and unless they were flowing freely and abundantly, the dirt was still on His feet when she wiped them clean with her hair. She used her glory (hair, see 1 Corinthians 11) to wipe off the dirt.
Ponder that for a while...
I don't know about you but it would take a great act of humbleness like none other, to do something like that, and I marvel that a lowly sinner (in her repentance) could set such a great standard of humbleness for us godly women to reach.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:10
Things like this help me examine myself deeper and dig around to see if there is anything lurking in me that shouldn't be. Jesus said we must lose our life to find it, that means everything we are inside too. Just the other day a mocking man was trying to contend with brother Jim when tattooe's came up. (He was covered in them and showing them off, not covering them up as a 'claimed' believer.) He said to brother Jim something very telling....
He said 'They are a part of me'. That's what many people think about their sins, making excuses for them as being part of who they are. Let us make sure we are not harboring anything that is a part of us that shouldn't be. Pride, vanity, loftiness in stature, thinking we are something when we aren't...
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12
I want to be as low as the woman at Jesus feet and if we continue on with a heart of humbleness, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can become that way.
I pray you are as blessed and humbled by this message.
Love and blessings,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...