John 13
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.[1]
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.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ’He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’[2]
19"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."
25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
28"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him,[3] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV)
Tonight we come together and observe the Passover.
A somber meal among friends…
The disciples know that something is coming…
Something that Jesus has been trying to prepare them for
But they are either unwilling or unable to understand.
He has laid it all out for them.
And they still don’t get it.
So Jesus did what we have come to expect him to.
He demonstrated to them through the use of metaphor
A concept that they would not understand merely
Through the use of words.
This time, however, it was not through the use of a parable,
But by Jesus taking up the role of a servant and washing their feet.
A truly humbling experience.
And then, shortly later,
Jesus says, perhaps the most terrifying words in all of Scripture…
"A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Why is this terrifying?
Well, I don’t think that he is talking about washing feet here.
I believe that he is commanding his followers to be utterly poured out
And broken for the sake of their love for God and neighbor.
They are to emptied of themselves,
A term that has become known as Kenosis is theological circles.
The act of emptying oneself of self…
A concept that should strike terror into the hearts
Of anyone who has an ounce of pride or ambition in life.
Think about it…
Just days before the disciples were arguing who was to be the greatest
Among them… Who would sit by Jesus side in the Kingdom…
And Jesus demonstrates… no he commands that those who wish
To follow with the same depth of love that the following
Day would get him killed.
Terrifying?...
You bet!
It threatens everything in life that we hold dear.
Security…
Ambition…
Pride…
Status…
Power…
Wealth…
Everything!
And, it does not come as a suggestion…
It comes as a commandment.
People of God,
Jesus came to fill every waking moment of our lives with his presence.
Christianity is so much more than showing up on Sunday mornings…
To be a disciple, a follower of Christ, we are commanded to be
Empty of ourselves and to love one another as Christ loved.
As Methodists,
We understand this state as what John Wesley called “Christian Perfection.”
That is the ability to love and to serve perfectly as Christ loved and served.
I think that it is interesting that after all that he did to advance the Kingdom,
Wesley never claimed to have achieved this state of being.
However, what is clear, is that he never stopped working towards it.
I believe that that is our goal as well.
To live as Christ lived,
To love as Christ loved,
And the recognition that even if we never truly arrive,
The journey is what our faith is all about.
