JOHN 13V1-17 THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
All sorts of things have implications for the way we live our lives today. If you are married there are implications – you no longer are self-centred, you no longer just think of yourself but think of two. If you are a parent – there are massive implications for your life and probably more for your finances. If you have had some sort of surgery there may be implications. Lots of things in our lives affect the way we live. Now let me ask you a question: Does being a Christian, a follower of Christ, affect how you live? Or put another way if being a Christian was a crime would there be enough evidence to convict you? Would you be found guilty this morning of being a Christian if it were a crime? Right at the very start of this sermon I want to say to you – being a Christian must have implications for the way we live or else there is something seriously wrong with our faith. I want to explain that by looking at the example which Jesus set for his disciples in the Upper Room during the last supper. Turn if you would to John chapter 13.
Let me set the context. Picture the scene, Jerusalem, the time of the Feast of the Passover. A small group of men who have been together for three years are meeting together in an upper room to celebrate a meal together. One of them is Jesus of Nazareth, in fact he is the leader of this bag of ragamuffins. For three years he has gone about Judea and the surrounding areas preaching and teaching, working miracles of healing, of deliverance, of feeding thousands with a schoolboy lunch and he has even raised the dead on a few occasions. Now you would think this would make him popular, and to some extent it has, but the influential religious leaders have decided he must die. They have managed to bribe one of this band of brothers to betray this Jesus into their hands and tonight is the night that will happen. Friends that is what these verses tell us. If you knew you would be betrayed by a close friend, that you would be denied by another, the rest would run away and hide and within 24 hours you would, although innocent, be hanging on a cross, abandoned by all including God himself, and facing certain death – what would your last words, your last actions be?
Look closely at what John tells us Jesus did during this last meal with his friends.
Verse 1 Jesus is in complete control. He is aware that the time of the cross has arrived and now before his death he wants to show his disciples the ‘full extent of his love’ for them. You see love, like a muscle, grows with exercise. Jesus knowing that death is imminent wants to set them an enduring example of love, one for them to follow after he has gone to be with the Father.
Verse 2ff – so during supper he takes action. Turn if you would to Luke 22 verse 24. This is the context of the action which Jesus is about to initiate. The disciples had been quarrelling amongst themselves as to who was the greatest. You know they were concerned with the pecking order. We get that from the farmyard – if you watch chickens they all peck each other on the head, the strongest down to the weakest – hence ‘pecking order.’ The disciples were busy jockeying for position in the kingdom of God, having failed to understand ‘the first shall be last and the last shall be first’. Having failed to understand and or learn from the example set by Christ over the past three years. How it must have wearied his heart, that even now, on the last night of earthly life with them they quarrelled over their perceived position in the kingdom.
They were so hung up on themselves, their egos, their self-importance that they all had sat down and began to eat. None of them was prepared to lose face before the others by doing the job of the lowest slave and wash the other disciples feet. The custom of the day was that when a guest came for dinner someone, usually the lowest ranked slave, washed the dust from their feet. But not tonight. There were no servants and none of the disciples had a servant heart. So their master stands up during supper, takes off his outer robe, wraps a towel around his waist, pours water into a basin and begins to wash their feet. Can you imagine the embarrassment in that room at that moment? The anger burns within Simon’s breast. Look what is happening because no one washed our feet. Simon is horrified by the demeanour of Christ. So when Christ kneels before Simon he says ‘No.’ Simon, Simon, full of pride wont let Jesus serve him. He was not willing to serve the other disciples but he is certain Jesus will not do this menial task for him. Well you know Jesus response to Simon. Simon unless I do this you have no part with me. Simon unless you let me serve you, you cannot be my disciple. Simon I came to serve, let me serve. Simon starting to understand asks, no demands, that Christ wash not just his feet but his head and his hands. And Jesus makes a wonderful statement Simon you do not need a bath, you are clean, only your feet are dirty. But Simon there is one amongst you and he is not clean.
When Jesus has finished washing all their feet, he puts on his outer garment again and he sits down amongst them and instructs them to behave in the same manner towards each other as he has done before them. He tells them that as their Lord and Master he served them, so they must serve each other. He commands them to follow his example, not as an empty ritual of feet washing but of servanthood and service to one another.
Now that is what happened to the disciples but what are the implications of that for you and for me today. So here, this morning, are the practical outworkings of this example for your life and mine.
CLEANSING – the starting point is that we must come to Jesus to be cleansed. Look at what he says to Simon – unless I wash you you cannot be clean. This morning you need to come to Jesus to be cleansed from your sin. He alone has the power, the authority and the means to cleanse you from sin. Some of you did that and you know the reality of forgiveness but like the disciples you need to come daily and ask Christ to wash off the dirt and the grime of sin that contaminates your relationship with him. You see in the days of Christ you took a bath before going out to a meal, but by the time you had got there your feet were dirty from the dust of the road and you needed them washed. Well the bath is the cleansing of your soul from sin when you are born again but because you and I live in a fallen and sinful world we get contaminated by sin and we need that washed away because if it remains and is allowed to build up in our lives then our relationship with God will wither and die. It is a bit like plaque building up on your teeth – you need it cleansed away otherwise it will do damage. Sin is like plaque it gathers on our lives very easily and only Christ can remove it.
PRIDE – if there is one thing this example of Jesus hits on it is pride in the life of his people. The disciples are all far too proud to serve one another. You see the disciples are busy with their self-image, their self-importance, their position, their power in the group and serving one another does not enter their minds. Their pride seeks prestige and honour. It believes they are important and they are in control. It makes them self-centred, self-reliant, blind to their own faults, it exaggerates their own attributes and it stirs up strife. Friends it is the same today. Too many people want power, want prestige, want position, want recognition, are blind to their own faults. Let me say to you in all honesty this morning if you are not willing to serve on the chair rota, if you are not willing to give out the hymnbooks, if you are not willing to clean out the toilets then you do not have a servant heart. The disciples after three years still did not have a servant heart amongst each other. Please let us not fool ourselves to believe we would have done, or that we do any different. So the first implication of being a Christian is that I become a servant of all because Christ serves me.
Do you see that? Christ serves me before I serve anyone else. My first question is not: What can I do for God? It may sound strange but it is right. The first question is: What God has done for me? You see the first step to removing pride and placing a servants heart in my heart is my admission that God does not need me but I need God. Friends God does not need you. You are not doing him a service by becoming a Christian. I need God. I need his forgiveness. I need his cleansing. I need his love. I need his Holy Spirit. I need salvation. I need him to serve me. He does not need me at all. So pride goes out the window when I accept Jesus. When I accept Christ I realise above all else I am a sinner who needs his forgiveness in order to live. There is no place for pride in my life if I want to serve Christ.
JEALOUSY – well there is no room for my jealousy. The disciples will not serve one another for fear of losing face before one another. Jealousy is a dreadful thing. I am going to confess something to you – I am a very jealous person. My brother in law David knows this and if he wants to wind me up he just has to mention a certain name, an ex-boyfriend of Janet’s, and he knows the green-eyed monster will not be far from my heart. You know the only jealousy allowed in my life – jealousy for the name of God. think about this for a moment. Here were 12 men, they had spent three years with Jesus. They walked and talked with him, they laughed and cried with him, they ate and drank with him – they could not be closer to God in Christ and yet having him in common, having that fellowship with him and with one another – they were still jealous, still angling for primacy in the kingdom. We are fools, misguided fools, if we think we are any different. Let me tell you we ministers are the worst for it. We want our church to be bigger, better, more secure financially, more happening than the man down the road. Jealousy comes in very easily to all our hearts.
Abraham Lincoln was once walking down a street and his two sons were fighting and crying as he walked along. A man asked him what the problem was. His reply, ‘the same as the rest of the world. I have three walnuts and each of them wants two.’
Jesus exposed their jealousy for what it was – petty nonsense. He said to them if I your Lord and Master can humble myself and serve – then what right have you to be jealous? If I can lay aside all my majesty, all my power, all my glory then you can lay aside your pride and your jealousy. Friends this morning I believe Jesus would say to some of you – it is time to lay aside your jealousy of others in the kingdom of God.
INDEPENDENCE. Let me ask you a question: this morning would you find it more difficult to wash someone’s feet or allow them to wash yours? I would say most, if not all of you would rather wash someone’s feet than allow someone to wash your feet. When Christ got up and washed their feet he said to them – you need me and you need each other. If I am to be Lord and Master Simon you must let me serve you. Simon there is no room for your independence. Simon you need me and you need these your brothers in Christ. To us this morning Jesus says – you need me and you need each other. I cannot be a servant if you do not let me serve. They cannot be servants if you do not let them serve you.
When I was at college they introduced a system in the dining hall were we would serve each other – nothing elaborate just someone from each table going to the serving hatch and getting the meals. Well you would have thought world war 3 was starting. The problem wasn’t serving the problem was letting other people serve you. Then one wise old owl read this passage one night in college chapel and pointed out we needed to let others serve in order that we might be servants of Christ to one another.
The example Jesus set the disciples, and us, says you need to set aside your independent streak and allow others to serve you.
PRIVACY. Jesus did not keep his disciples at a distance. In order to serve them he got up from his position and humbled himself before them in service, the most menial of all service of the day, foot washing. He got down amidst the dirt of their feet and he washed them clean. When those around him refused to do it he did it. The one who really was King of Kings became the servant of them all. He got up close. He did not just say he loved them he demonstrated it. You cannot love at a distance. You cannot serve at a distance. You cannot bring Christ to people from a distance. My philosophy for ministry is quite simple, it is summed up in one sentence:
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Jesus could have told the disciples a parable to humble their hearts and to teach them the implications of following him. Instead he enacted a parable before their very eyes and set them a lasting example.
HUMILITY. Listen to what Paul wrote about Jesus, Philippians 2 verses 5-11. Jesus laid aside his majesty. He emptied himself of all the glory of heaven and came to earth to be born in a stable. He humbled himself in obedience to his father’s will and that led him to the cross. He had it all. He had made it all. It was for his glory and yet he humbled himself to death on a cross.
He took up a towel, he removed his outer garments and did what no one else in that room was willing to do – he washed their feet. He humbled himself before them. Their Lord, their Master, their Teacher, their Saviour, their King and their God – humbled himself and washed their feet. In picking up the towel he said I am a servant. In washing their feet he said I do the most menial task for you because I love you. Friends if the King of Kings sets us an example and we claim to be his followers then what task is beneath you or me to do for others in his name.
I want you also to note something very important in the passage. He washed Judas Iscariot’s feet also. He made no difference amongst them, even though he knew Judas would betray him. He washed Simon Peter’s feet even though he knew Simon would deny him. he washed the other disciples’ feet even though he knew that within a matter of hours they would have deserted him. He made no difference in his service to them. We should remember that. There should be no difference in our service amongst people, even, no, especially our enemies. His love for them and his service for them did not depend on their response to him. Remember that. The temptation is always to serve only those who will appreciate it. Christ did not set that example so it is not one we are to follow.
SERVANTHOOD – I want to finish with this. Being a servant is not putting £1000 on the collection plate, though that would be appreciated. No, being a servant is dividing it out amongst people in 10p lots. It is the daily discipline of loving people, serving people, listening to people, helping people – the 10p at a time over the long haul that is real servanthood. You see it is loving even when they are unlovable to you. It is serving when you know they are betraying you. It is serving when you know they will deny you. It is serving knowing they will desert you. It is serving knowing that they did not have it in their own heart to serve you. It is serving when you really would rather be at home.
And the promise my brothers and sisters in Christ – is this – he says we will be blessed when we follow his example. Why? Because the focus is on God and not the task. The focus is on Christ and not the job in hand. The focus on the other person and not on myself.
Bob Pierce, who founded World Vision, was visiting a missionary friend in Indonesia. Bob Pierce at that time was suffering from terminal cancer. He came upon a little girl lying on a bed of straw beside a river, she too had cancer. He asked how this could be. His friend said the little girl wanted to be beside the river. He nursed her in his arms and she said if she could only have one more nights peaceful sleep. Bob Pierce reached into his pocket and handed his friend his painkillers and his sleeping tablets, prescribed for him to get a good nights sleep. He was ten days away from being able to get another prescription for the medicine. He made his friend promise that he would ensure the little girl got the medicine every night until it ran out. Friends that is servanthood – not counting the cost to yourself. Putting yourself out for others. You see you can choose to nurse your hurt or you can choose to use it to serve others and to heal their hurts.
Jesus was willing to serve his disciples when they were not willing to serve each other. Jesus was willing to serve and not to condemn them, even though he knew their hearts on this matter. He set them an example of servant ministry and he commanded them to follow it. The reason – because he loved them and he wanted them to see the extent or the fullness of his love (verse 1). When he wanted them to see his love – he served them. He did not take them out into the back garden and do miracles, he did not fling stars into the heavens, he did not work wonders before their eyes – even though he had the power to do this – he served them. When he wanted them to know his love – he humbled himself before them and he washed their feet.
Friends where is the love of God seen on earth today? Where is the love of God seen in this community today? Where is the love of God seen in this church today? Where is the love of God seen in your family today? When you and I serve one another.
Finish with Steve Turner poem.
The implication for your life and mine – If I want to follow Jesus I have to follow his example. It is not an option it is a command. Question is Am I going to obey it? Amen.
