“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13
By washing the dirt from His disciples' feet, Jesus demonstrated His unconditional love and willingness to forgive their sin before they even committed sin. This takes love to the highest level of love. You say, “Well, Pastor, I am not the one in the wrong…. They are.” Jesus was not in the wrong either….They were. Of the men in that room, only One was worthy of having His feet washed. And He was the One who washed the feet. The genius of Jesus' example is that the burden of bridge-building falls on the strong one, not the weak one. And do you know what happens? More often than not, if the one in the right volunteers to wash the feet of the one in the wrong, both parties get on their knees.
“For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Mark 5:28
Mark records the story of a woman who experienced a hemorrhaging blood condition for twelve years and spent every penny she had on doctors, but never got better. This woman’s life was turned upside down and inside out because of her condition. Sexually, she couldn't touch her husband. Maternally, she couldn't have children. Domestically, whatever she touched was considered “unclean”. Spiritually, she couldn't enter the temple for worship. Physically she was exhausted and socially she was ostracized. But mentally she would not give up! In her mind, she said “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Her mind was set on being made whole! She would stop at nothing to get healing from the healer.
“...They called the name of that place Baal Perazim.” 1 Chronicles 14:11
The Bible says: “The Philistines...made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?’ The Lord said to him, ‘Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.’ So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, ‘God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.’ Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim [which means ‘breaking through’]” (I Chronicles 14:9-11 NKJV).
