Good morning all! Father, thank you for this time together. May we hear your voice in the very depths our hearts and be inspired to action…following Jesus in the way and the path you have marked out for each of us, bringing glory to Your Holy Name. Amen.
John 13 (NKJV)
13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Well, let’s dig in. In staying on our topic “Who is This?”, I think these verses have a lot more to do with our topic than just the “action” of this event…but then again, the “action” is what He is all about…and therefore, in following Him this “action” becomes our way…whether we fully understand or not.
Until I got down to verse 3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands” - I was just reading the story, and wondering why Pastor hadn’t included the verses that would give us “the rest of the story”.
Then I began to look at what Jesus is telling us through the Apostle John…that He, being the Son of God, is our sovereign Lord and Savior, with whom God the Father has entrusted the entire world…and He fully understands His mission, in which He obediently…willingly will do whatever is required…all the way to the cross..and back to the Father…and why? ”... having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”. What Good News!
That’s when I began to understand Why Pastor had seemingly pulled up short here. If I would have read on, then this would have become just another “Easter Season Story” and how is Jim going to better apply it to his life (not a bad thing)…versus our pattern of thinking getting interrupted…looking through a different lens…going to a place where Jesus is messing with us…so as to discern and understand, and therefore not to miss the true meaning of His “unexpected” action.
I understand Peter’s honest, heartfelt reaction to what Jesus wanted to do for him…he knew who Jesus was, the Promised One, the Christ, our Messiah..and Peter wasn’t going to have any part of any “action” that would diminish Jesus stature as our King…he just didn’t fully understand His mission. So now, I think…I hope…I get it. Jesus mission is to wash each of us so we can be with Him!...and what a washing it is! Given to us by a Servant King…who by His humble “action” of grace & love, has filled the “leadership void” in all our lives, enabling us to faithfully, confidently, yet humbly, be on mission with Him.
May we all be so humble…yet bold in all we do, by the Spirit of the Son!
Blessings to you and yours,
jim