“Not My Feet Only” – Steps 6 and 7

I sat in Gospel Doctrine class one Sunday as we were flying through the New Testament. “So what lesson do we learn from this story?” the teacher asked.

“That we must serve as Jesus served,” came the quick answer from the audience.

That’s true, I thought, but I think there is more…

In John 13, beginning with verse 4, we read that after Jesus and His disciples finished eating their final meal together our Lord prepared Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet. He then wiped them dry with a towel He had wrapped around Himself.

As Peter’s turn came, he held himself back. He was not about to submit his filthy feet, which were covered with the streets of the city, to be washed by his Lord. Peter said to Jesus, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Washing feet was work of the lowliest servant. It was nothing he would allow His Lord and Master to do for him.

The Lord replied to Peter in this way, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” This single sobering statement by the Lord leveled Peter’s pride.

The idea of ending his relationship with the Lord over this thing was unthinkable, and so Peter submitted wholeheartedly by saying, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”

Even as Peter, we must each come to realize that our desire to cleanse ourselves, as noble as it might seem, does not bring us to God, but instead creates distance between us. If we want “part” with the Lord we must humbly submit to His cleansing.

The lesson Peter learned directly at the hand of the Lord, Himself, has been taught to me during my years of activity in 12 Step Recovery. The struggle in my life, which drew me to this program, was compulsive/addictive overeating. My seemingly futile battle with it had caused me to feel “unclean,” as if I too had dirty feet. The shame it caused me had gone on for years. I supposed that in order for me to feel comfortable before the Lord I would have to conquer this weakness myself (clean my own feet). However, in studying the Gospel principles represented in the 12 steps, I began to realize that I must submit my dirty feet (or unclean behavior) to the Lord, Jesus Christ. As I became willing to do so, then He would purify me.

In order for me to be clean before the Lord, I had to be willing to be made clean by the Lord, not on that far away day of reckoning, but right now, today. I could no longer postpone my coming unto the Lord with the excuse that I was standing in the shadows making myself perfect enough to have part with him. I had to step into the light, His light, where my defects were well lit, and then submit myself unto Him for His divine cleansing.

As I continue to witness His power to overcome compulsive/addictive eating and the love He has for this work of saving me, even from myself, I find myself more and more willing, even as Peter, to submit all. I am beginning to desire to honestly lay everything before Him- my guilt, my angers, my fears, my worries. With Peter, I too would cry, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”

By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday 3, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
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