If I Wash Thee Not

"Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.  Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."  John 13:8.  As a demonstration of the humility and care that we should have toward all, Jesus washed His disciples' feet.  Peter was going to object, but Christ taught him that he must submit to the will of Christ.  The great gift of Christ is not the cleansing of feet, but the cleansing of the heart from sin.  To be a part of Christ, we must willingly allow Him to cleanse us from sin through His blood.  When we obey Christ in baptism, we are allowing Him to cleanse us from the sin that separates us from Him.  Jesus shed His blood upon the cross so that we might have the forgiveness of sins.  There is truly power in the blood of Christ.  When we submit to Him in obedience to His will, we become a part of Him.  We share in all of the blessings that come through being made clean by Him.  Jesus seeks not to wash our feet, but to wash our soul.  To deny Him this act of grace is to refuse Him and not be a part of Him.