Open your bible. Go ahead, I'll wait. Open to John 13 and consider Jesus. Notice His love in two moves, two acts:
Act 1 Jesus Loves
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
What strikes you about this first act? Is it the fact that Jesus washes feet? Is it that Peter protested? It can be difficult for us to accept love from others, from God, from Jesus. Where do you need to accept His love today?
Act 2 Jesus Sends Us To Love
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them....34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Act 1 must be completed before Act 2 is possible. To whom is God sending you? Who needs to be served in your life? Who needs the love of Jesus given specifically through you today? If you don't go and wash their feet (serve) who will?
1 comments:
Did Jesus wash the feet of Judas? The purpose and intent of the disciples is so different than that of Jesus. Two opposing views or kingdoms, two empires that are clashing. How do you recieve when questioning the intent of another? Where is the vehicle of trust?
Yet, Jesus compels us to not only love, but love our enemy. Peter's protest is his own barrior, his own understanding, his own enemy.
This unruly band of disciples, are marginal even in their own society/culture. They are being left with this powerful message that brings life. A message so powerful that it can elevate the messenger. One that can give us a choice to be like Judas/was he doing it for the money or was the freedom he saught the wrong kind? Based upon the wrong motivation? Maybe Judas wasn't looking to elevate Jesus to the cross, but to forcing his hand to serve a different empire. Maybe Judas believed in the end it would prove to be a good deed?
How often do I do that? With my boss, life issues, maybe even my own husband. To change another into my own idea of God.
Serving/recieving...accepting love from other's is very difficult. But than I also wonder, how do you love your enemy, especially when you may be the one who is marginal? The employee, the victim, an outcast from society, the unborn child....I'm coming to believe that in the kingdom to truley recieve love, we must reach out to those who are marginal, but serving is not just doing.....it's coming along side another, suffering deep within yourself/sharing all that makes us human. It is this kind of love that brings a new kind of freedom, one that creates a movement.
The amazing thing is though, when we do love like this, we find we ourselves, I, have been the enemy of God, not the other way around. Suddenly the ancient gates do open, through acts of mercy justice is found for all, both great and small.
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