What the Muddy? Feet, Water, and the Way of the Shepherd

What the Mud?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where things feel muddied? You're in search of clarity and answers, but they feel hazy at best? Most of the time it is because there are too many voices fighting for our attention, but I came across the below section from Ezekiel, and a beautiful, redemptive rabbit trail unfolded:

Ezekiel 34:17-19

"...Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

This is the Lord speaking to the shepherds of Israel through Ezekiel. It goes into a description of how the Lord will be the shepherd of His people, among other things. But the section about the clear waters having been muddied by the trampling of feet got me curious.

It's not always bad things that create the mud. It's the daily. Walking from point A to point B. Dealing with the traffic on the way to work or a strained relationship with a colleague or friend. Maybe even the grind of making ends meet while raising kids, taking care of elderly parents, or a stressful political environment. The point is, dust - especially in Biblical Israel - could not be avoided. But there was a process in place to clean, heal and restore - the process of washing one another's feet.

Are we really talking about Feet?

I don't know about you, but when I think of feet I think about all the places I've walked. I also try to mentally calculate when the last time was I went for a pedicure... but that's for another day. Could it be that the proverbial 'muddied waters' we experience - many times in relational difficulties - come from our feet having trekked in where we've been? Our 'places we've been and things we've seen'? We bring our experience into every situation. Our failures. Our triumphs. Our opinions. Our assumptions. And then? Then we trek mud all over the place and attempt to give people clean water to drink from the well of our own understanding.

The Way of the Shepherd

John 13:12-17 

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The Good Shepherd (John 10:11), in His infinite kindness and wisdom, gave us this antidote: Do to one another as you have seen Me do. Wash each other's feet. Sit with each other, look at where they've been. What they had to walk through. And then? Wash feet. It's not exactly a 'sterile' process with the comfortable buffer of distance and decorum, is it? Nope. It's super close and personal. Which is probably why most reading this have been squinting and low-key cringing at the thought of having other people touch their feet or touching other people's feet (myself included).

It's not like washing twelve people's feet happens within a few seconds either. Have you thought about that? How long must they have been waiting for Him to finish washing and drying each disciple's feet? What would they have been thinking as he did this?

"Oh no, I haven't trimmed my toenails in weeks!"

"He doesn't know where I've been, I stepped in Jeff's dog's doodoo this afternoon!"

"He has raised the dead and captured the attention of thousands, and He's washing my feet?!"

"At least my feet aren't quite as bad as [insert name here]."

Yet, they had to sit there and watch the Messiah wash each of their feet - a task reserved for the lowest servant. A task that took time. And He was okay with it.

The Antidote of Humility

But what if we sat with each other, and like our Good Shepherd, washed each other's feet instead? Seeing the dirt and grime of where our brother has walked, perhaps needing to clean a few wounds as to prevent infection? What if we took the time to care for each other in vulnerability? What if we came really low to the ground, a place Jesus was quite comfortable with on numerous occasions, and did not compare our dirt with theirs, but in humility and love left our brother better off than before - to where he no longer muddies the waters he treads, because someone took the time to wash his feet? What if I no longer muddy the waters with my feet because someone took the time and came low in humility to wash me of my dirtied experience?

Whether you want to look at it literally or metaphorically, it's an intentional process that takes time. A process Jesus commanded us do for one another, especially if we live lives yielded to His Lordship. Back in the day, it was even a normal, daily ritual. Bring it into to the year 2025, what does it look like? Do we literally wash people's feet now? I have to say, I have been in some beautiful, healing and holy moments where this was the case, yes. And whatever His Spirit breathes on, I don't ever want to stand in the way of. But, I want to suggest that we 'wash' each other's feet by taking intentional time to see where they've been, and speaking the Word over them. Coming into agreement with what the Shepherd is saying over them. His words bring clarity, clears out the clutter and confusion, and is redemptive and restorative in nature! We do this by speaking and agreeing with His words over His sheep.

John 15:3

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Ephesians 5:25 (AMP)

...so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God]...

Why is this hard? Why do we naturally shy away from it?

Well, pride will always want to keep the distance, stand in self-righteousness, or put the best foot forward.

"What? you want to wash my feet? I'm totally fine. Let me wash yours instead."

"You want to wash feet? No, we don't do that here. It's not necessary."

"How long will this take? Right. And I have to touch what exactly? That's a bit uncomfortable, don't you think?"

"It's too close and personal. We don't need to do that. They know I pray for them."

"Sally doesn't need to see my un-pedicured situation, and neither do I want to deal with hers. Let's just say we did it, and move on."

The reasons can go on and on. You get the point.

But, humility. by nature requires us to lay down what we think the correct course of action is, and follow the leading of the One. Humility is the antidote to so many things because Humility is His nature. And His Nature brings transformation.

The Water

The only water worth drinking is the Living Water - it comes from Him, flows from Him, is sustained by Him and carries the healing and truth needed for every circumstance under the sun. He takes our muddy and washes it with His water, bringing healing, purity, clarity and compassion. Setting us up to continue to walk in His ways, being led by His Spirit. His Spirit is the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel - there is no situation for which He does not have a restorative and redemptive answer. It's His Nature.

May we walk in His Love, sit with one another when things get muddy, wash feet and lean into the purity of His wisdom.

John 13:17

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

James 3:17 (AMPC)

But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].

It will always be Love that brings us back to clarity.

“He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:2–3)