[189]. A Message From A Poem – Lord, Wash Not Only My Feet

[189]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LORD, WASH NOT ONLY MY FEET

This poem has its setting on the Passover night and it is this incident – {{John 13:3-10 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realise now, but you shall understand hereafter.” PETER SAID TO HIM, “NEVER SHALL YOU WASH MY FEET!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “LORD, NOT MY FEET ONLY, BUT ALSO MY HANDS AND MY HEAD.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean, and you are clean, but not all of you,”}}

A great realisation came to Peter that night. He realised that he needed to be washed, but it was more than physical washing. What is important here it the spiritual washing and the deep meaning of that came later to the disciples.

The washing of the feet related to this earthly journey, the dust and rubbish that might be obtained from the paths of the world. The washing of the whole person was the washing to cleanse from sin. Only the blood of the Lamb could do that. In that regard Jesus told His disciples that they were completely clean, knowing the full cleansing would come at Golgotha.

Jesus of course does not wash our feet today in the physical sense but I think this is pretty close – {{Ephesians 5:26 “that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”}}. It is the word of God that cleanses our walk in this sinful world.

Going back to that Passover night, what alarmed Peter was that the Lord stooped to do a servant’s chore. When people arrived at venues, servants washed the guests’ feet but here Jesus was doing a servant’s job. As Jesus got closer to Peter, the disciple was wondering what to say and then he declined his feet to be washed. Peter thought that was utterly humiliating so he declined his feet to be washed. Out of that the Lord gave a huge teaching about physical and spiritual cleansing.

The poem takes up what Peter said about hands, feet and head. I hope you like it.

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LORD, WASH NOT ONLY MY FEET

“Lord, not my feet, but also head and hands.”

With that, we see that Peter understands.

The Lord to Peter said, “Without washed feet,

No part with Me you have,” but self defeat.

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That Passover meal was held that night.

The Saviour provided there what was right –

He prepared His own for what was ahead,

But mainly they saw confusion instead.

His death on the cross would deal with all sin,

So believers in Him, would heaven win;

Those washed in His blood forever are clean.

God’s righteousness upon them is seen.

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With basin and towel, and each one in turn,

Their feet the Lord washed, and they would soon learn,

What in symbol, that meek action portrayed,

On that very night the Lord was betrayed.

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Without the washing of the feet, it meant

They’d have no part with Jesus; they’d be rent

From Him as Judas was, lost forever,

But they were His, and nothing would sever.

That night He cleansed from earthly defilement,

But His shed blood would make the atonement.

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Wash all of me – my feet and hands and head:

My feet will travel now Your road instead;

My hands will be occupied with Your will;

And my head, Your precious thoughts distil.

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R E Ferguson 12 February 2022

Metre = 10 throughout Rhyme – AABB etc.