Walking in Light

If we are mindful that in the thirteenth chapter of John, Jesus is preparing the introduction to a covenant ceremony, then everything He says takes on the depth of "covenant language". John 13:10 (NLT) Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” John 15:3 (NLT)"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." Jesus knew the authority of His Word and the power receiving that Word generated in a person. He also knew they had opinions and desires that were of human understanding, but only Judas had determined to take into his own hands the control to make things happen to his will. His response was not to Jesus but to his own desire to use Jesus for his own means. All through the Scriptures we see "imperfect" people whose hearts are turned to God to give Him covenant response but make great "sinful errors". God keeps His covenant responsibility and moves in to bring change to keep them in His purposed path for them. But when that error was spawned by a turning away from a direct covenant command, they lost their covenant connection. Again, our understanding of sin causes us to make a judgment call, but God, Who looks on the heart and the intent, shows mercy.

Judas had given Satan an opportunity to use him as an instrument to vent his hatred of Jesus. A lesson we can learn from Judas is the difference of covenant response to God and self interest. Judas received hope from what he heard Jesus say, but it was a hope centered on his own interests. He never intended to do harm to Jesus but, I believe, wanted to force Jesus to proclaim Himself king and get rid of Roman power. When it did not do what he had believed would happen, he had remorse but not repentance. He took the guilt to himself and found an answer to that guilt in himself. We must guard ourselves from self involvement. Making a judgment concerning anyone else makes us the judge. Self takes over and our own opinion becomes the plumbline. Hurts, rejection, disappointment and discouragement can isolate us from that connection that covenant makes between us and God. The strength of covenant is connection. We are in covenant with the greatest power in all eternity. Because the purpose of this covenant is so awesome, God does not rely on feeble human efforts to make covenant with Him. He cuts covenant on our behalf. We are the object of His love, but the weight of covenant is on Him and not us. So it is not about us but all about Him. Our response is to trust and obey. Believing He loves us and trusting Him to take care of us, takes the anxiety out of the most terrible of circumstances. If we repent when we move in our own self and do not trust Him, He moves in His compassion and mercy that are greater than we can comprehend. Remember, we are in "child training" for something much greater than we can comprehend now. When we keep our focus on Him and praise Him for His control over all things, we can view the present circumstance through light and not our limited vision. Turn to His Word and let Him direct your thoughts. It is the best "foot washing" you can imagine.