No One Has to Clean Themselves Up Before Jesus

Because mess has messed with us, we do whatever we can to avoid it.

We say, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”
We cross the street so we don’t have to feel uncomfortable.
We keep the conversation light so it doesn’t get heavy.
We decide, “This relationship is costing me,” and then do the slow fade.
We label people: junkie, drama queen, high-maintenance.

We are mess-avoidant. And for good reason. But what if our instinct to avoid mess is creating more of it?

In John 13, we collide with Jesus on the night before the cross.

Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He knew Judas had already betrayed Him. He knew within hours that He would be hanging on a cross.

And what does He do?

He gets up from the table and starts doing the most degrading job in the house. He laid aside His outer garments, took a towel, tied it around his waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Disciples who were often foolish, strong willed, stubborn, wayward, unfaithful and weak-messy as all get out.

We see Jesus again and again collide and we see that He kneels in the middle of our mess and He’s like: Are you too clean for me? I touch lepers with rotten skin rashes. I stand present with women you call ho’s. I go out of my way for people with terrible reps and track records. I eat with outcasts, and I hung on a cross willingly next to two thieves, as though I were one.

Scripture says ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We’ve all failed and failed again. We’ve hurt people. We’ve betrayed people we love. We’ve got blood on our hands.

And you know what doesn’t cleanse us? Saying we’re clean.

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Your good works, your “do better” plan, your trophies on the shelf, your church goin’, your image, your volunteering, none of it can wash you clean.

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done. Jesus is willing to enter your mess and take it on Himself so you can walk clean.

And if we believe this for ourselves, we also must believe its true for others. Even the ones whose mess keeps getting on us. Jesus kneels for them too. Jesus is willing to wash your Judas’ feet. Jesus is willing to love the people you want to avoid. And actually it’s when Jesus enters mess that it gets cleansed.

So friend, I have to ask you two questions:

• Is there a mess you need to invite Jesus into? Go ahead, He can’t wait to enter.
• Is there a messy person you’ve been avoiding that Jesus is asking you to enter? Go ahead, He will show you what to do.

Today I am thanking God that He doesn’t avoid our mess, but He wipes it all over Himself, touching the stinkiest, darkest, chaotic places so that we can experience His cleansing, love and rescue.