By Mike Caton

John 13:9, “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Isn’t this just like Peter? When Jesus tells him unless he allows Jesus to wash him, he has no part in Jesus, Peter goes all in! Wash my feet, my hands, my head, and everything else! Jesus I want as much as I can get. Peter was a little misguided, as we will see in the next verse, but I truly believe his heart was in the right place. It seems there are too many Christians who want just enough Jesus, just enough to get them through life, just enough to be able to call on him in troubles, just enough to get them to heaven one day. But like Peter here, we need to want all the Jesus we can get! I don’t want to squeak by with just enough Jesus, I want to overflow with him!

If we look at Peter’s request here, we can make a few simple connections. And maybe we ought to pray for Jesus to wash these things in us as well. If we had clean feet, they wouldn’t take us to the bad places. If we had clean hands, they wouldn’t do bad things. And if we had a clean head, there would be no room there for the devil and his temptations. That sounds pretty basic, but so often basic and simple is just what we need. You know the really dirty spots in your life, the places that need a little extra cleaning, maybe a stiffer brush, a little more Clorox, or whatever. But the truth is, the blood of Jesus can wash away any stain. It often hurts to be really scrubbed, but you have to get the dirt off. It often hurts when Jesus washes us as well, but we have to get the sin out.

How much washing do we really want from Jesus? Enough to thoroughly and completely clean us? Enough to make us presentable? Enough to just get us by? We need to be completely cleaned, from the inside out! And that is exactly what the blood of Jesus does for us. But we need to come to Jesus in faith and obedience to receive that washing. We need to submit to the plan Jesus has for us.

Father, wash all of me as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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