October 24, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"He began to wash the disciples' feet." — John 13:5 · KJV

The Lord Jesus loves His people so much that every day He is still doing for them much that is like washing their soiled feet. Their poorest actions He accepts; their deepest sorrow He feels; their slightest wish He hears; and every transgression He forgives. He is still their servant, as well as their Friend and Master. He not only performs majestic deeds for them — wearing the mitre on His brow, the precious jewels glittering on His breastplate, standing up to plead for them — but humbly, patiently, He still goes about among His people with the basin and the towel. He does this when day by day He puts away from us our constant infirmities and sins. Last night, when you bowed the knee, you mournfully confessed that much of your conduct was unworthy of your profession; and even tonight you must mourn afresh that you have fallen again into the very same folly and sin from which special grace delivered you long ago. And yet Jesus will have great patience with you; He will hear your confession of sin; He will say, "I will, be thou clean"; He will again apply the blood of sprinkling, speak peace to your conscience, and remove every spot. It is a great act of eternal love when Christ once for all absolves the sinner and puts him into the family of God; but what condescending patience there is when the Savior, with much longsuffering, bears the oft-recurring follies of His wayward disciple — day by day, hour by hour, washing away the many transgressions of His erring but still beloved child! To dry up a flood of rebellion is something marvelous, but to endure the constant dripping of repeated offenses, to bear a perpetual trial of patience — this is divine indeed! While we find comfort and peace in our Lord's daily cleansing, its right influence on us will be to increase our watchfulness and quicken our desire for holiness. Is it so?