Peter in Me

8/11/2017 

John 13.8 “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” – St. John 

Sometimes, ol’ Peter could just be a stubborn jackass. He had his mind made up, and I tend to think Jesus started the whole foot-washing episode at John and then worked all the way around to Peter. I think Jesus washed Peter’s feet last just so that stubborn ol’ Peter, more precious to Jesus than we’ll ever know, could soak up the full effect of what was happening.  

And the closer Jesus came, the higher Peter’s walls of defense, went.  

I am consumed these days with the idea of grace. Specifically, God’s grace. Peter, of all people, decided to write in his epistle, quoting Proverbs 3.34: “God opposes the proud but shows favor (grace) to the humble.” I think we completely underestimate the power of pride in our lives – and that is why diving to the bottom is so important in discovering and receiving God’s grace. Jesus dove to the bottom in washing their feet. They all had to dive to the bottom to let their Master do such a thing. Even Judas. 

I also think that God cares more about our killing our pride, than He does about our masks of pretentiousness that we put on whenever we get together as believers – like our lives are so perfect and ripple-free. And the worst part is, I read a passage like this and I’m doing the Peter, I’m thinking, no way in bleep am I gonna let you do that to me… go wash someone else’s dang feet! 

I suppose I find some comfort in the fact that somewhere along the way, someone said, Well, foot-washing today isn’t really foot-washing – it’s more like serving one another. I’m thinking, Whew! Dodged that one! But whatever it is, it doesn’t excuse me from diving to the bottom. For you, or anyone else. Grace abounds to the one who wears humility like a garment; as a way of life. 

There is no room for stubborn jackasses in the realm of humility. The greater the risk of intentional, humiliating embarrassment, the greater the gift of grace.  

We resist humility because it’s humiliating. But to the one who develops the taste for it, it’s exhilarating. Ol’ Peter finally developed the taste and tradition tells us, he was crucified upside down because he didn’t see himself as worthy of being crucified the way his Master was… Good job Pete! 

Father, today, I am humbled in embarrassment because I see Peter in me: no way am I gonna let You do that to me! But Lord, Your ways are always loving, always right, and always good. Help me to go further, as my brother Peter did when he said, and ultimately lived out: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. You did it for him, and I know You’ll do it for me. Amen