You are clean. Fragrant and aromatic with the scent of pure linen. Pure nard. Pure extract of almond essence. From the touch of God. Incense of delicate lavender jasmine. The cadence of angelic blessing. Jesus came close.

God says… I’d still kiss you with the dirt on your face, the mud on your waist, the dust in the shades of gold and brown and red glimmering in your hair. You’ll never be too dirty for Me to want to hold you.

“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7

I tasted strawberry when I kissed the dust on you en route to form, breathing life into you. I tasted minerals in the earth from the garden you stayed working in, planting away, making sure it would be sustained when the frost came.

I see the strawberry on your skin where I maid the birthmark with My own hands… because you are clean deep within, emenating aromas of fruits and spices from the Heavens.

Taste My love…

My love, I burn for you.

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also should wash one another’s feet.”

John 13:14

Jesus leads with a pattern: “Now that I… you should also…”. We do what He does. We follow what He executes. We mirror what He says. No one else has authority to draft the standards but Him. He is the King and what He says remains the foundation of spiritual living.

Jesus taught the disciples to cleanse one another through His example of love.

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:15

What example do we follow?

God is the example.

The example of love.

The example of action.

The example of intent.

The example of character.

The example of courage.

The example of kindness.

The example of leadership.

the example of passionate love and lavish affection.

He showed them how by demonstration leading up to His crucifixion at the Last supper, the night before he would be handed over the the Chief priests. Jesus knew this was His last night with His friends, the 12 disciples. He chooses to spend this time transmitting a healing touch of cleasning. A cleansing they will never forget.

“So He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”

John 13:4-5

Usually after a meal like this, relaxation follows the dinner. But here we see Jesus taking action after the very meal we know today as the last supper. Verse 4 says, “He got up from the meal…”. Rarely do you see anyone get up from a meal especially at the end, unless the dinner is over and guests exit. Jesus wastes no time. He highlights his constant leadership as the one in charge by taking this step, further highlighting His zeal for making the most of every moment. He knew these hours were His last with His disiples and He prioritizes this moment to teach them an important lesson on servanthood and identity. An identity grounded in purity imparted from The King alone. An identity rooted in His love for you.

“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.” Psalm 19:9

We need the statutes of the Lord imparted to us, for we are only flesh and blood people. Our supernatural spirit awakens from a touch from God, the Holy One. He grants purity to all who desire Him to be their God and come close to Him and make Him Lord. God come close to those who choose Him.

Verse 4 says, Jesus “took off His outer clothing” in order to put on a towel for cleaning. Cleaning the disciples.

God takes off the robes that inhibit His intimacy with you.

Jesus takes off His clothes to absorb your flesh.

Your dirt and grime. Your skin and dust particles stored up. He seeks to cleanse you with a touch. His touch, where His own heart of love can’t help but to impart purity to every part of you. The only thing separating Jesus from their dirtiness was the towel “wrapped around him” as verse 5 says. But he takes that off to dry them off.

How are you stripping down to clothe someone else? How can you take off your own power or preconceived notions in order to uplift someone close to you? Jesus stoops low. The lowest position in the house, because He wants His disciples to visibly see that He loves them that much and that He wants to clean them not just in their body but in their heart.

Jesus gives selflessly. Jesus cleanses completely, when we give Him all we are.

Does our giving match the cleansing?

Love always cleanses.

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

John 13:17

Jesus clarifies the important of doing what He teaches. He promises a blessing as a result of this action step taken.

Give pure love… and pure love will accomplish something meaningful for everyone involved.

the river flows

clean where the water goes

trickling

down the stream

waterfalls greet

the mountains

and the lakes

hosting pools

of cosmic quakes

of love and grandeur

Every time Jesus gives of Himself, He does so in order to give something to the one He interacts with. Here in this passage, Jesus gives cleasing to all the disciples and He tells them that this is how they are to lead. By bowing low to serve others.

Jesus sees dirtiness and He comes close to clean it. Both in the heart and body.

Cleanse the one you love… by loving them inside and outside.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,” Ephesians 3:14-16

In this passage, the apostle talks about the important of the inner man being strengthened in the Spirit. It’s the inner man that possesses the soul connecting with God. The inner man that hosts the heart and informs the mind to whom it belongs to. We need strength in the Spirit within in order to act upon God’s words given to us.

Your Spirit is your gateway to more of God in your life. Your spirit connects with His spirit, by His invitation to interact with Him and your acceptance of that invitation. We need to connect with God through His spirit while on the earth so that we can stay intertwined with the God who reigns in the Heavens until we are all brought together as one people when the New Heaven and New Earth comes. You have a choice about if you want Jesus to be King or not. Salvation if your choice. Being touched and cleansed is your choice.

When you desire God, it attracts His cleansing in your life. Cleansing happens God’s way, not ours.

The King touches His holy ones with fire, like when the seraphim touched Isaiah’s mouth in Isaiah 6 with burning coal beofre being sent out to speak His words. God cleanses the ones whom He sends and this is a prerequisite cleansing whereby God does all the work. On the spot. Instantaneous. He touches you and its done. His glory layers you with His power and anointing.

Jeremiah also heard the word of the Lord calling Him forth.

“Then the Lord put His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9

God inserts His words in your mouth.

Do you want God in your life?

If you do… you can have Him.
He wants you to want Him.

He loves what He sees in you… how He made you… how He gifted you… how you love Him no matter where He takes you. Let Him love you in every avenue destiny propels you.

“Come, My beloved, let us go to the countryside; let us spend the night in the villages.” Song of Solomon 7:11

God wants to love you inside.

Then love you outside…

“Let us rise early to go to the vineyards, to see if the vines have budded, to see if their blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom – there I will give you my love.” 💖
‭‭Song of Solomon‬ ‭7:12

Where the pomegranates bloom, there Your passion grows in tune with Your garden’s mosaic of luscious arrays of purple azaleas.

He takes me there… with one touch.
He makes me pure… with one touch.
He answers prayer… with one touch.

Touch us with Your love, God… awaken Heaven within.

When God touches you with His cleansing, He send you out on a mission of love for His Kingdom’s sake. Love that shakes the foundations of broken earth. Love that restores the Garden of Eden. Love that mends hearts to see The King’s love in highest resolution. We want a touch from You, Lord.

You thrive because you have been touched by The King. You are clean and holy from the embrace of the Most High. We delight in Your love, Jesus. Fresh waters seep into our souls from the River by the Tree of Life.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13:35

empowered

by a touch

from The King

liberated

by a touch

from The King

loved

holy

chosen

brilliant

able

woven

in His hands

you are perfect

in His hands