Washed

[0:00] A pastor's reflections washed. Exodus 3.5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place wherein thou stands is holy ground.

[0:13] Joshua 5.15. And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou stands is holy. And Joshua did so.

[0:24] John 13.14. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. In the Middle Eastern culture, the putting off of the shoe is a sign of respect and reverence. Shoes are considered unsanitary and dirty for someone to enter a home and tramp through it with their shoes on. To do so would be to show the utmost contempt and disrespect for the owner of the house. In the Bible, the scripture uses this cultural normality as a way to convey something more than just respect. When the Bible speaks of someone putting off their shoes before God, it is not just that God is worthy of respect, but that God cannot be approached by someone who still has the filth of this world clinging to them. Shoes represent something dirty, something filthy, something that has been traversing through this world and collecting the dust and debris of the world upon them. To put off my shoes before God is not just to approach God reverently and respectfully, but to approach Him only after first setting aside the worldliness that so easily clings to me. However, there is a problem. No matter how hard I try,

[1:42] I can never put off the internal worldliness of the heart. From the outside, I may have the fanciest shoes and the best smelling feet, but on the inside, I may still be a filthy stinking mess.

[1:56] God desires us to approach Him reverently and respectfully, but also clean. John 13.10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, but is completely clean.

[2:10] 2 Corinthians 7.1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

[2:25] We can be clean, not only in our outward acts and deeds, but more importantly, the inward deeds of the heart. Jesus sees past the external and straight to the heart. Jesus gave his life, not for our physical hygiene, but our spiritual hygiene. We can first be clean and then live clean before God. And both of those cleansings are made possible by the same person, Jesus.

[2:52] Today we can do our part. We can put off the shoes of the things of this world, and we can trust Jesus to do His part, to wash clean. Not our feet, but our hearts. Draw near to God, draw off your shoes, and let God draw out the washing of the water of His word.

[3:16] Ephesians 5.25 and 26 Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

[3:28] Father, thank you that in Christ I have a place to come, not only for cleansing, but also refreshing. Help me today to keep my heart clean before you by allowing the word to wash away the filthiness of this world. Use me today to bring your cleansing word into the lives of others, so that they too might be washed and refreshed. Amen.