Children's Message 4/9/20

"Tie My Shoes Please"

When I was growing up there was no such thing as Velcro. There was no such thing as clogs. We had shoes. Those shoes stayed on because we had shoelaces. Learning to tie your own shoelaces was a big deal. Before you learned this skill, you were dependent upon someone else to help you to tie your laces. Sometimes we all need someone to help do things we cannot do for ourselves.

Jesus' disciples were like that. They needed Jesus to do something for them. One day when Jesus was celebrating the Passover with the disciples, Jesus took a bowl of water and a towel and began to wash their feet. They had been walking around on the dusty roads and their feet were dirty.

The disciples could have done that for themselves, but Jesus wanted to teach them a very important lesson. He wanted them to know he could do something for them that they could not do for themselves. He could wash them on the inside as well. What I mean is Jesus forgives sin. Jesus died on the cross and rose again to forgive us. We can't do that for ourselves. Only God can forgive. All we have to do is ask God for Jesus' sake to forgive our sins. It is just like when I was young and had to ask someone to tie my shoes.

Jesus also wanted to give the disciples and us an example of how we should forgive just as God has forgiven us. This is what we ask of God when we pray the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us."