Hello Dear Ones,
Today’s Text is:
John 13: 1-17
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (It’s long, so feel free to choose a portion to share.)
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus 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!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When 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.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Here’s a song that we’re loving for thoughtful contemplation. A song from Michael Card about taking up the basin and towel - might be good as a response song after the message. Lyrics to the song are here.
Here’s a gentle prayer that we can take what we’ve been given and live into it.
Take what You’ve Given - Lyrics and lead sheet with chords are found here.
American Gospel by Jon Guerra - This song is so on point for this message and it’s one that will really make you think! Lyrics here.
Questions for discussion
Here’s a verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
What is weakness?
Tell the story of one way God showed up for you in your weakness.
In your group:
I would suggest offering each person an agreed upon amount of time to answer this question, with someone working as a timekeeper. It is important that this time of conversation reflects the entire gathered community - even those who don’t usually share very often.
And as you close your time together:
I leave you with this blessing:
I release you in the power of the Holy Spirit into the world God so loves, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the God, who sees the goodness and grace in you and walks proudly with you.
Blessings,
Carmen
This post is offered for individual worship, and for sharing with your small group and member congregations. It is offered free of charge at this time - you do not need to be a paid subscriber to access this content or to share it with others who may appreciate the blessing in this message.
TRANSCRIPT
Hello Friend, welcome to the Good Foundations Series, I'm Carmen Shenk.
Episode 1
So far in this series we've talked about the power of coming together in community so that no one needs to face the struggle alone. This is about safety, belonging, and purpose. Doing life with a small group of people – 5-12 people can be absolutely life changing. We need to be watching out for people who are living their lives alone and inviting them into the blessed community – this is so important. And that's where we started this series called “Good Foundations” So again, safety, belonging and purpose is where this conversation began.
Episode 2
And last week we talked about the empathy of God as seen in the parable of the Good Samaritan. We remember that Jesus told this story in response to the trick question: “How do I inherit eternal life?” His answer was this story about showing mercy. And I hope that we have had some time to sit and soak in the idea that God loves us, because he loves us, because he loves us... The more we know this experimentally rather than just theologically – the better. Because it's the foundation of everything. The two key points of the old testament are: “Love the Lord your God with all you are. And Love your neighbor as yourself. So as we press in to the empathy God has for us, we become able to share that empathy with others.
Today: Episode 3
Today I want to talk about the contrast between domination and empire – versus loving service. I intend to share four stories from the life of Jesus – two at the beginning of his ministry and two near the end. And in these stories, let's be watching for the theme of power.
CONTEXT
But first, let's talk about context. In his book “Jesus and the Disinherited” theologian Howard Thurman reminds us that “In 63 BC, Palestine fell into the hands of the Romans. After this date the gruesome details of loss of status were etched, line by line, in the sensitive soul of Israel, dramatized ever by an increasing desecration of the Holy Land. To be sure, there was Herod, an Israelite, who ruled from 37 to 4 BC; but in some ways he was completely apostate. Taxes of all kinds increased, and out of those funds extracted from the vitality of the people, temples in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus were built within the boundaries of the holy soil. It was a sad and desolate time for the people. Herod became the symbol of shame and humiliation for all of Israel.”
Thurman goes on to explain that a revolutionary named Judas laid siege to the armory at Sepphoris and took weapons from there, and tried to re-establish the glory of Israel. Roman soldiers reduced that place to nothing but ashes. This was a neighboring village to Nazareth. Maybe Jesus was one of the carpenters who would later help rebuild the city. This is the backdrop as we consider these four stories in the life of Jesus.
The first story about Jesus and power:
Before the ministry of Jesus begins, we see him in the wilderness where he was tempted by the enemy. One of the three temptations is when the accuser lifts Jesus to a high mountain range and shows him the kingdoms of the world and all the splendor that goes with it just spread out at his feet. “All of these kingdoms I will give to you, if you kneel before me and worship me.” The enemy was offering Jesus power, Empire, influence, domination. Maybe he would be able to save Israel from Rome with this kind of power...
But Jesus declined. Worldly power came at the cost of worshiping his enemy – and Jesus declined.
Jesus didn't give in to the temptation to go after worldly power – he quoted the scripture: “Kneel before the Lord your God and worship only him.” Don't worship worldly power, and don't bow the knee to anybody to get worldly power! Don't go there!
The second story about Jesus and power:
In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah who wrote this text 700 years earlier:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”
And so we have Jesus focused on the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. I'm fascinated that the rich and powerful of the world are not mentioned in this mission statement of Jesus. I realized this very recently and I was very shocked by it.
I see this mention of blindness, and the Greek word here can be translated literal or metaphorical blindness – people who can't see what is right in front of them for whatever reason. That's deception. Not because of physical blindness, but because they've been hanging out with those who have the intent to deceive. So I would translate this: Good news for the poor, freedom for prisoners, insight for the deceived, and set the oppressed free. This is a mission statement, this is what matters to the Three – Father, Spirit, Son. And this is where it all begins in the life of Jesus - turning down worldly power and stating that the poor, the prisoner, the deceived, and the oppressed are the priorities of the ministry of Jesus.
The third story about Jesus and power:
If we fast forward to that final week in the life of Jesus we also notice some of the same themes here regarding power and Empire. We have the Passover as a kind of date stamp in this final week, so we can kind of keep track of things that way.
Six days before Passover, in John 12:12-15 Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King.
Jesus is riding a young donkey into Jerusalem.
This was foreshadowed 500 years earlier by the prophet Zechariah who says 9:9:
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
It's a young donkey. There's nothing threatening or imposing about this picture.
Most scholars believe this means that he comes as a king, but not as a warrior-conqueror who would normally ride a horse or be drawn in a chariot, or some other status symbol to impose and dominate and say “Look how victorious we are.” “Don't mess with us!” We will mess you up. We are STRONG! There was nothing threatening about the way Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem.
As he was riding into town, the people cried: “Hosanna to the son of David.” Which could also be translated: “Save us son of David!” Some in that crowd had already begun to think of Jesus as the Messiah, and that's why they are referencing the warrior, King David. They expected Jesus to overthrow worldly power and save them from the oppression of living under the crushing weight of the brutal and bloodthirsty Empire of Rome. They threw down their cloaks on the road, while others brought branches from the trees and spread them on the ground. They created a carpet for Jesus to ride into the city, “HOSANNA!” Save us! Son of the Warrior King David.
Matthew 21:10 “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” And the Pharisees said to each other: “Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
They were jealous. Jesus was popular. Jesus had healed so many people and fed crowds – fish and bread for everyone! They resonated with his teachings. They loved him. The rulers felt threatened.
And one week later, Jesus was dead. Because this is what happens to revolutionaries under Empire.
The forth story about Jesus and power:
The final of these four stories about power happens the last night before the his end of life journey. Jesus was with his small group at the table having a Passover meal together.
During the meal, Jesus gets up and takes off his outer robe, and wraps a towel around himself and begins to wash the dirty feet of this disciples and dry them with his towel. Now this was awkward because Jesus wasn't their servant and this was a servant girl's job. Peter, who is sometimes the guy who says out loud what the others might think but don't say - shares his discomfort: “I can't let you wash my dirty feet- you're my Lord!” And Jesus argues with Peter. But finally, Jesus washes his feet also.
And after washing their feet, he put his robe on and returned to his place at the table.
The footnote in the Passion Translation reads:
'There has never been a nobleman, teacher, or a king that loves and serve his servants like Jesus”
The “Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective says in Article 13 on Foot Washing that:
“Believers who wash each other's feet show that they share in the body of Christ. They thus acknowledge their frequent need of cleansing, renew their willingness to let go of pride and worldly power, and offer their lives in humble service and sacrificial love.”
Summary of the Four Stories of Jesus & Power
We see that Jesus resists the temptation of worldly power when the enemy offered him the kingdoms of this world. We see that the mission statement of Jesus is to show up for the poor, the prisoner, the deceived, and the oppressed. These are the priorities of the ministry of Jesus. I believe these are the priorities of the Three – Father, Spirit, Son.
Jesus showed up for people who didn't have health care and he healed them. He showed up for people who didn't have food – fish and bread for everyone! He showed up for people who were deceived and oppressed.
God showed up to release a family of brown skinned escaped slaves from their Egyptian overlords. (Exodus 14) We see in the life of Paul and others how God shows up for them when they are in prison. We have a God who notices the poor, the prisoner, the deceived, and the oppressed.
Tyrants are temporary. Jesus is eternal.
Tyrants are temporary. Jesus is eternal.
Scot McKnight, in a book called “A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing” tells the story of being in England in a rental car. It was a great car, the only problem was that the steering wheel was in front of the passenger's seat. And he needed to drive on the left side of the road. He said
“everything was the same and completely different at the same time.”
He had to overcome decades old habits and instincts. And after driving for only a few hours, all the Americans in the car were exhausted.
He makes the point:
“A pastor who makes himself the center of attention and a pastor who serves the congregation have all the same standard equipment. They both preach and teach and form committees and share vision and administer missions and motivate and encourage and all the things we've come to expect from our pastors. And yet they couldn't be more different.”
He goes on say that for a serving pastor:
“A culture of service turns everyone toward one another instead of toward themselves. People are first, grace matters, empathy is a first response, truth is told, and doing what is right shapes the mission of the church.”
And after James and John ask Jesus to have one sit on his left and the other on his right in his glory... Jesus called them together and told them all:
“42You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. 43 But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, 45 for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.” -Mark 10:42-45
The note in the Anabaptist Community Bible reads:
Christ spoke of worldly authorities and rulers and added simply: “It shall not be so among you.” He did not mean the twelve only, but every Christian and member of his church.”
(From the Chronicle of the Hutterian Brethern. Vol. 1. Rifton, NY: Plough, 1987.)
And another note in the same study Bible also reads:
First century Jews thought their Messiah would liberate them from Roman Imperial power. Ironically, Jesus does just that, not by destroying the enemy but by calling his followers to adopt the upside down values of God's kingdom – humility, service, self-sacrifice – just as Jesus himself models.
Scot McKnight adds an idea I find very interesting. He says we can be a self centered church, or we can be a people pleasing church – these (as my old pastor would say) are the ditches on either side of the road. We can either make it all about us, or we can exhaust ourselves serving everyone. The goodness of God calls us to the middle way where there is the balance of loving God, loving God's people, and pacing ourselves in our service for the long road ahead. This is not a competition. This is not a sprint. We'll need to take good care of ourselves in order to serve well.
Tyrants are temporary. Jesus is eternal.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your love and grace toward us. Thank you for living a life of service, and modeling how to live in a world of power, domination and control. We acknowledge our frequent need for cleansing – so continue to help us with our dirty feet. We come to you, releasing our pride into your hands. We release our grip on worldly power and influence. We offer up our instincts to tell others precisely how they should be acting and reacting and what they should think or do. We open our hands to your leadership and direction, and release our own agenda. We remove our allegiance from any worldly power and return it to You Jesus. We offer our lives and our bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to You, Lord. This is our appropriate priestly service. We pray that you would help us not to be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we will know your will, your good, pleasing will for us. We know that you love us. Help that knowledge of your empathy and love for us to go deep in our spirit, so that we can live out of that river of life. Help us to remember that tyrants are temporary, but you are forever. Show us how and when to serve, and fuel us with your empathy, strength, and love. Amen.
I leave you with this blessing:
I release you in the power of the Holy Spirit into the world God so loves, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the God who sees the goodness and grace in you, and walks proudly with you.
Amen.
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