| John 13:1-17 |
| March 24, 2008, 8:19 pm posted by Ihab |
Dear Church Family,
Happy Easter to all of you. We missed all who could not come yesterday.
As I was reading and meditating in the Bible last week, the passage from John 13:1-17, really stopped me. I read it and read it and re-read it. I was especially touched by Jesus' command in verse 17. I will quote for you the text from the NIV. I will also quote for you a commentary from the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible "note the masculine language". It is my prayer that all of us will follow Jesus' example. Please take the time to read and reflect. Happy Easter again.
Ihab
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.[a]
2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12When 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. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Now, the comment from the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible,
CEO OR SERVANT?
"John 13:1-17"
Just about every work situation has a gopher. That's the guy who does the odd jobs, runs the errands and cleans up the messes. He's usually underpaid and overworked. It's a job with little hope for advancement and less affirmation. It's the job nobody wants.
At the time of Jesus nobody wanted to be a slave. Especially demeaning was the job of foot washing- a role assigned to the lowest slave in the Oriental home. Foot washing was traditionally observed at times like this, before an intimate meal or banquet. In this dry and dusty region, sandaled feet were quickly soiled. Having washed and prepared themselves for the meal earlier, the attendees would only need their feet washed to be completely clean and ready for the festivities.
As the disciples and Jesus gathered for this Passover dinner, they had also prepared in this manner. But there was no servant present to wash their feet, and nobody was about to volunteer. The disciples wanted to be served, not serve. They wanted to rule, not be ruled.
Imagine the disciples' shock when Jesus took off his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waist and washed their dirty feet! The master became a servant. The CEO became a gopher. He even washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, who would betray him into the hands of the Jews who wanted him silenced, and of Peter, who would later deny that he even knew who Jesus was.
When he finished cleaning the disciples' feet, Jesus told them to follow his example of humble service. We too need to follow his example in our family and work lives. We should serve our wives, children, coworkers, bosses, friends and even enemies. Take a few minutes and identify some jobs or chores that you don't normally perform and volunteer to do them. |
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