M. Thursday
29 March 2018
John 13:1-17
He loved them to the end
Jesus kept loving His disciples. He loved them to the end. Despite their self-seeking ways. Even though He knew one of when would betray Him. Even though He was conscious of soon entering the glory from which He had come. He performed for His disciples, even for His betrayer, the menial service of foot washing. In that selfless act. He showed His love in all the beauty of its perfection.
He loved them to the end.
1. It is a love that makes us clean.
The foot washing portrayed Christ’s loving work of spiritual cleaning. Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. (v.10)
Peter did not understand the real significance of this act of love. “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” (Vv.6-8a.)
Though justified by faith and thus purified from sin, we still daily sin much.
We are still living outside of Eden.
Flesh and blood led us into evil.
We need daily cleansing from daily defilement.
If our feet are not washed, we have no part in Jesus. “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”(v.8b)
We confess we need to have our feet washed when we pray. But how do we so often pray?
Lord, Thee I love with half my heart
The world has claimed the other part.
I pray, Thy name, be hallowed Lord,
But want my name to be adored.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy reign extend,
And reign on me wealth without end.
Thy will be done my lips shall pray,
And curse when I don’t get my way.
I thank Thee for my daily bread,
But cakes and steaks I crave instead.
My million sins forgive, forget.
While I collect a one-cent debt.
From tempting evils keep us free,
Unless I find they pleasure me.
Lord, Thee I love with half my heart,
Destroy, reclaim, the other part. 1
Christ is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us. (1 John 1:9)
We have a part in all that Jesus earned for us by His suffering and death.
We are daily made clean all over. The love Jesus showed in washing His disciples’ feet does not fail us either.
2. It is a love that makes us humble.
The foot washing provides us a pattern for humble service. “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (Vv.12-15)
Christ’s act is a picture of His voluntary humiliation whereby He stooped to save. “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[a] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”(Philippians 2:6-8)
But literally washing one another’s feet will not bring us any nearer to the mind of Christ. Christ comes to us. Bearing our sin. Feeding us with His body and blood.
We follow Christ’s example when we bear one another’s burdens. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
We are concerned for their physical comfort. We have been intentional in our outreach into the community. The weekend before Holy Week we partner with Pack Away Hunger. This year we packed 64,125 meals. 75% remained in Adams and Wells County. In the past nine years we have packed 600,000 meals. We do this as we love God and serve our neighbor. We begin Holy Week by reaching out to our neighbor in his need.
We aim to secure their spiritual and moral cleansing. This is our primary task. As we reach out to our neighbor with the message of Christ.
The love of Jesus enables us to “wash one another’s feet.”
That love transforms our hearts so that we get rid of arrogance, envy, and anger.
That love guides us in a spirit of lowliness and helpfulness.
Blessed are we when the unfailing love of Jesus move us to imitate Him. “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (v.17)
The love of Jesus will not fail. He who washed His disciples’ feet will cleanse us daily and empower us to humble service.
650 Words
85% Reading ease
4.7 Grade level
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