LISTEN TO COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 5 – STINKY FEET
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Welcome to this special Easter edition of Redeeming the Chaos with Laurie Christine!
A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL FOR EASTER
For 30 days leading up to Easter, I will be reading to you from my easter devotional book, Come and See! 30 Family Bible Stories for Easter.
Today, I am reading Come and See! Chapter 5 – STINKY FEET.
Come and See! invites families of elementary-aged children to experience firsthand the anticipation, the sorrow, the tragedy, the fear, and the ultimate triumph of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Through the eyes of six eye witnesses, you will be led on a journey through the busyness of the streets of Jerusalem, to the despair of Golgotha, and finally to the celebration of the empty grave.
This book includes 30 short devotional stories, each with accompanying Scripture references and questions for discussion and imagination.
We are going to be reading one story each day leading up to Easter. You’re welcome to grab the kids and listen together for your family Bible time. Or, if you would rather read to your kids on your own, you can DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE ENTIRE EBOOK HERE.
LISTEN TO COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 5 – STINKY FEET
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READ COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 5 – STINKY FEET
STINKY FEET – Told by Peter, A Disciple of Jesus
“I couldn’t believe what was happening. Jesus can’t wash our feet! He’s our teacher! I watched as he made his way around the room, removing the sandals of each man and gently scrubbing away the dirt. There was no way Jesus was going to wash MY feet.“
PETER, DISCIPLE OF JESUS
Later that same week, Jesus sent John and me into Jerusalem ahead of the other disciples to prepare a place for us to eat a Passover meal. This wasn’t the official Passover meal when we would eat a lamb that had been sacrificed in the temple. That meal would take place the following evening. This night we would enjoy a meal together in honor of the firstborn children whom God had spared when our ancestors lived in Egypt over one thousand years ago. That evening, we all gathered together in an upper room of someone’s house for dinner.
That evening, we were all reclining around the table in the room where John and I had prepared the meal. We were exhausted from the events of the week and the preparations of the day. Normally, when we would arrive as guests at someone’s house, the host would order one of the servants to bring a basin of water and wash our feet. Dusty roads and sandals made it difficult to keep our feet clean.
But that night, there was no host and no servant, since we were merely borrowing a room for our dinner. I wondered which of us should be responsible for the foot washing. One of the less-important disciples for sure. I mean, I was part of Jesus’ inner circle of friends, so I know it wouldn’t have been me.
As I was contemplating which disciple was least in our ranks and most deserving of the foot-washing job, I noticed that Jesus had stood. He walked over to the table where the wash basin and pitcher of water were sitting.
Maybe he’s going to assign the task of foot washing to someone, I thought. But no. The next thing Jesus did both surprised and confused me. He took off his robe, picked up the pitcher of water, and poured it into the basin. Next, he tied a towel around his waist and carefully carried the basin of water, trying not to slosh too much onto the floor. He knelt down in front of John and gently removed his crusty, mud-caked sandals.
What was Jesus doing?
Lifting John’s feet into the basin of water, Jesus gently scrubbed away a week’s worth of grime and filth from John’s blistered feet.
I couldn’t believe what was happening. Jesus can’t wash our feet! He’s our teacher! I watched as he made his way around the room, removing the sandals of each man and gently scrubbing away the dirt. There was no way Jesus was going to wash MY feet.
Finally, Jesus was kneeling right in front of me. “Lord, you’re not going to wash my feet, are you?” I asked, feeling very uncomfortable with this whole situation.
Jesus replied, “You don’t understand this right now, Peter, but someday you will understand what I’m doing.”
“No way. I can’t let you wash my feet, Lord! This is the job of a servant! You should not be doing this.” I crossed my arms across my chest and pulled in my feet under my long robes.
“Peter, if I don’t wash you, then you cannot be one of my disciples. You can have no part in the Kingdom of God unless you have been washed by the Son of God.”
I was shocked. I can’t be one of his disciples? Following Jesus these past three years had been the best years of my life! Where else would I go? Of course I would allow Jesus to wash my feet if those were the stakes!
“Oh, well, when you put it that way…here….” I thrust my feet straight out in front of me as I sat there on the floor, hiking my robes up above my knees. “You can wash all of me! My hands, my feet, my legs, my elbows, my knees, my armpits….”
Jesus laughed. “No, no, Peter. Let’s just stick with your feet for now — they’re plenty smelly enough! Besides, you have already been made clean because you have believed in me. Only your feet need to be washed from time to time.”
As Jesus finished, he stood up, dried his hands on the towel, and put his robe back on. He turned to look at us. “Do you understand what I was doing just now?”
I mean, he was washing our feet, right? Doing the job a servant should have been doing.
“I am your Lord and teacher, yet I was not afraid to do the job of a servant. I have given you an example to follow. I want you to do the same for each other. If you want to be great in the Kingdom of God, you must be willing to be humble and serve one another.”
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