Having loved his own who were in the world, he [Jesus] now showed them the full extent of his love. John 13:1 (NIV 1984)
Lord Jesus, I often return to the scene from which this verse is taken, for it is homeroom for my heart—the place I go to settle and center my restless soul. It’s the night of your betrayal—the night you would be denied and abandoned, by Peter, and all the disciples. You knew the full extent of their weakness, so you showed them the full extent of your love. Washing their feet was a prelude to washing their hearts. Water sufficed for the first, your lifeblood was required for the second.
The miracle is, this is how you love each of us, Jesus. Absolutely nothing can separate us from your love, or increase or diminish your affection for us. You don’t love us more when we “get it right”, and you don’t love us less when we “blow it.” That doesn’t mean you’re indifferent; it means you’re our Savior. Indeed, you remain committed to showing us the full extent of your love—it’s width, length, height, and depth (Eph. 3:18-19).
Only your love can free and change us, Jesus. Only your love is better than life. Only your love can satisfy the cravings and longings in our hearts. In our most gospel-sane moments, we know this to be really true. Nobody or nothing must change for us to be at peace and joyful. Continue to rescue us from thinking otherwise. Forgive us for plugging our happy-meters into people’s opinions, the quality of circumstances, the quantity of possessions, or anything besides you.
Jesus, you are our loving Master, not our private masseur. Forgive us when we forget the first, and start demanding the second. By the gospel keep washing us, Jesus—bathe us in grace every hour of every day. You are already our perfect righteousness, but we long for the Day when we’ll be made perfect in love (1 John 3:1-3). Hasten that Day. So very Amen we pray, in your merciful and mighty name.