If we were to compare the length of our text for today to many of the other passages that we have looked at during our study of John’s gospel, then this would be one of the shortest ones. However, even though our text today has only a mere five verses in it, there is so much more here than we could hope to get into during our time together. We could spend weeks, even months, talking about all of the impactful statements that are within these words spoken here by Christ. I say this to convey to you that our look today is not an exhaustive look at this passage. I am simply choosing certain aspects of this text to focus on and fully acknowledge that there is much left unsaid about this passage today and the weight that these verses carry with them.
Before we begin, we have to remember what is going on as Christ says these words. These are Christ’s farewell words to his disciples, the beginning of his final speech to them. We are in the upper room. We have just seen Jesus tell his disciples that one of them was going to betray him. He told John, the writer of this gospel, that Judas was the one who was the betrayer, and then he told Judas to go and leave the room. Imagine John’s emotions at this point. Mind you, none of the other disciples know that Judas’ leaving was so that he could betray Jesus. John has gone from the emotional high of the foot washing event and sharing a meal with Jesus and the other disciples to now not only hearing that Judas would betray Jesus, but he has seen Jesus send Judas on his way. Jesus has in fact set the events of the betrayal into motion himself. Not only has he not done anything to stop it, but he has lit the fire so-to-speak. John has to be sitting there absolutely stunned and overwhelmed with emotion at this point.
Jesus knows what has just been set into motion. He knows that Judas’ leaving and reporting him to the authorities will ultimately end in his own bloodshed. Jesus knows full well what the string of events that are soon to come will accomplish. As he begins speaking to the eleven disciples that remain, he speaks of the coming glory. He speaks of the glory that is coming both for the Son of Man and God the Father. You see, not only will the Son of Man, Jesus himself, be ultimately glorified at the completion of what is to come, but the Father will be as well. After all, it is the Father who sent the Son into the world to begin with. Also, let us not forget that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are linked together in some way that we cannot fully comprehend in the Trinity. Christ is soon to conquer sin and Satan and reverse the conduct of Adam. While this glory is being shown, God will be glorified in that His promises through the prophets of the Old Testament will be fulfilled. God is offering up His Son as a once for all sacrifice to pay the debt for the sins of all mankind.
Do not think for one second that this is something that is easy for Christ to do. This is not something that he doesn’t struggle with. We know from the various gospel accounts that Jesus prays to his Father is the Garden of Gethsemane for this burden to be lifted. It is almost as if he is experiencing the pains of the beatings and the cross long before he is ever arrested. Jesus refers to his disciples as “little children” showing the intimacy and love that he has for them. He’s telling them that his leaving them is not something that he does out of disgust or disappointment with them, but it is because he loves them (and us as well) that he must go. Where he is going they cannot follow at this time. There is only one who could ever do the things that he has done, and there is only one who could do that which he is about to do, that which he must do.
Before he leaves, Jesus gives the disciples this somewhat “new” commandment, “to love one another: just as [he] has loved [them], [they] also are to love one another.” It’s this statement that I want to spend a little time talking about this morning. Now to say that this is a new commandment seems a bit odd. After all, in Leviticus 19:18 we are told to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, while in the wilderness, the nation of Israel was given in essence this same command. They were told that they should love one another. The questions that I think that we have to ask ourselves today as modern disciples and followers of Christ are 1) what does it mean to love one another just as Christ loves us, or even going back to the Old Testament, what does it mean for us to love our neighbors as ourselves? And 2) why is Jesus giving this command here and calling it new when the substance of the command has been around for generations?
First, what does it mean to love another as Christ loves us? Well, there are numerous places where we could look to in Scripture to find a Christian definition of love. We could turn to 1 John, an epistle written by this same gospel writer, in which he basically gives us both a definition of love as well as a commentary on Jesus’ comments about love. We could turn to the book of Genesis where we’re first given the model for marriage. Brilliant biblical scholar James Montgomery Boice says that an even simpler example is found using the book of 1 Corinthians. Now, we have all no doubt been at a wedding ceremony where these verses have been read describing the love that a soon-to-be-husband and wife have for one another. These verses are used during almost every Christian wedding ceremony, and rightfully so. They do indeed describe love for two individuals who are soon to be united as one; the words of 1 Corinthians 13 describe love. Boice proposes that we remove all occurrences of the word love in 1 Corinthians 13 and replace them with Jesus. If we were to do so, it would read something like this, “Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; he is not arrogant or rude. He is not self-seeking; he is not irritable or resentful; he does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Jesus bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Jesus never fails.” Very truthful wouldn’t you say? A pretty accurate description of how Christ loves us. Now, if we are to love like Christ, then we ought to be able to replace the word “love” in 1 Corinthians 13 with “I.” “I am patient and kind; I do not envy or boast; etc.” I don’t know about you, but I find myself lacking in many of the areas laid out for us in Paul’s words about love.
So, as Christ prepares not only himself for his exiting this world, but his disciples as well, he tells them that they are to love with such compassion and service. He in essence is giving them the core of the Christian faith and Christ’s own ministry. He is calling them to love to the point of serving. We have seen numerous times that he calls us to be humble, to serve, to show compassion. Now, I’m not saying that as Christians that we are to exist simply to hand out to those who don’t have. I am well aware that many in our day and age think of the church as the place to go when you need food, clothes, money, or a place to stay. Quite honestly, I don’t have it all worked out for myself yet as to where the line is drawn on these types of issues, but I know that Christ indeed does call us to love one another and not just those who are exactly like us. However, I do think that his referencing of “another” is primarily a call to show such compassion to other believers in particular.
This leads us to the second question that I want us to ask today and that is why this is called a new commandment when the principles guiding it are anything but new? We said earlier that this command finds its roots or origins in Leviticus 19:18 and then repeated in Deuteronomy 6. Well, what we have to remember is that context is king. Let me explain that quickly. When these words were given to Israel in the wilderness, they were spoken in the context of how one Jew was to relate to another. They only included those people within national Israel and excluded all others. However, when Jesus commands us to have such a mindset, then it’s a whole new ballgame. With these words, this command is given a new object; it is to be exercised according to a new measure; it is to be made possible by a new power. The object of our love is no longer someone of our own ethnicity, but anyone and everyone who looks to Christ as their Savior. The measure of love has moved from a sense of ethnic or national pride to now being those high standards that we looked at a moment ago from 1 Corinthians 13. This command to love is now made possible by a new power, the power of the Holy Spirit, the very life of Jesus Christ in every believer.
It is because of these new levels to which the command to love one another has been taken that this commandment is considered new. It is similar to how during the conversion of the Christian the old self dies and the new self is born even though our earthly bodies remain unchanged. While the principle of love remains, it has been taken to a much greater degree. Later on in this same speech, in John 15, Jesus will again repeat these words and clarify them saying, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Jesus is soon to perform the ultimate act of love. He is about to show the greatest act of compassion and love that the world has ever seen. He is soon to lay down his life for our sake. When Jesus calls us to love one another just as he loves us, he is preparing the disciples (and us too) for continuing to proclaim his gospel. He is preparing us for continuing the ministry and the work that he has started. He is telling us to take the love of Christ, a love that is much more than handouts and acceptance of different opinions, into the world. The love of Christ is a love of grace and mercy; it is a love of salvation. It is a love built upon saving faith in Christ Jesus. That love, the love of Christ, is what we are now called to take out into the world and share with others. It is “by this [love that] all people will know that [we] are [his] disciples, if [we] have love for one another.” Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
John 13:21-30 "Lessons in Betrayal"
If you will recall, at the conclusion of our text for last Sunday, Jesus had begun to tell the disciples that someone was going to betray him. Not only was someone going to betray him, but it was going to be someone close to him. In fact, all of this would come about to fulfill the words of the Old Testament. In Psalm 41, King David, inspired by God, writes the words, “Even a close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” Here in our text for today, Jesus tells them that not only is his betrayer close to him, but that he is in fact one of his disciples, one of the twelve.
So often, we forget that our Savior was human. No, we don’t deny his humanity in the same sense that the heresy known as Docetism does, but we forget that Jesus had the full array of human feelings and emotions. We’re told here that as he’s telling his disciple of this impending betrayal that he is “troubled in his spirit.” Now we’ve seen this phrase before in John’s gospel and we noted that it carries with it a sense that Jesus is very much pained and deeply moved by what is on his mind. It is visible to John, the author of the gospel, that Jesus is troubled by what he is telling them. Even though we commonly think of Jesus as never showing emotion, that isn’t the case, especially not here.
My wife tells me all the time to stop being a guy and just be honest with her. Now, let me clarify that statement a little bit before just leaving it up to your imaginations. There’s something that is hardwired in me where I’m not supposed to ever let my wife (or anyone else for that matter) know when something is bothering me. It’s a trait that unfortunately seems very present in many men, and even more to the point seems to only get worse with marriage and kids. However, there are times, despite my best efforts to remain stoic, that my wife can obviously see that there is something wrong with me. I may think that I am holding it together so that no one is any the wiser, but she can see it as plain as day in my face and hear it in my voice that there is something that is not right with me. John has that insight and understanding here when it comes to Jesus and what he is feeling at this time. John can see and hear in Jesus that it pains him to say these words and to know what is about to come.
Obviously, as the disciples hear Jesus say that one of them is going to betray him, they become very interested in finding out who it is. We’re told that Simon Peter even has the disciple whom Jesus loved (most likely John) ask Jesus point blank who he was referencing when he made his statement about an impending betrayal. Now, what comes next is a little puzzling to many Christians today, at least it can be if we do not read the text carefully. We’re told that Jesus responds to John's inquisition by saying that the betrayer is the one whom he will give the bread to. So, Jesus dips the bread into some type of liquid substance and then hands it to Judas. He then tells Judas to go and hurry and do what he has to do. Now, the confusing part if we’re not careful is that we would expect to then find words of outrage here on the part of the disciples directed towards Judas. However, we are specifically told that none of the disciples really knew what was going on. They didn’t know why Jesus told Judas to go and they certainly never become upset with him. You see, the words of Jesus about the betrayer being the one given the piece of bread were spoken only to John. John was sitting at Jesus’ right hand during this account. After John’s question, Jesus did not respond to the entire group, but he only leaned over to John and told him what was about to happen. So you see, it should not confuse us that none of the disciples were outraged at Jesus’ handing the bread to Judas.
Forgetting the scene from the disciples’ perspective for a moment I want to look at it from Jesus’ point of view. You see, Jesus had called Judas to be one of the twelve some three years prior. Over the course of those three years, Judas has seen the miracles: the feeding of the 5,000, the healing of paralyzed and sick men, the resurrection of Lazarus. Over the course of those three years, Judas has heard the teachings: the parables, he was front-and-center for the Sermon on the Mount. Over the course of those three years, Judas has been by Jesus’ side and been one of his closest confidantes. It’s no wonder that Jesus was pained by knowing what was to come with Judas’ betrayal.
Judas’ soon-to-be betrayal of Jesus after those three years teaches us what I view to be three very important lessons or things to remember when it comes to our own Christian living today. The first is that it takes more than a good example. As we just said, Judas has been right there sitting under Jesus for three years. If ever someone was going to learn about following Christ simply by being given a good example, it would have been one of the disciples. But you see, a person changing and being transformed is not a work that can be done alone. No, it is a work of the Holy Spirit, a work of God. A person cannot change themself and he/she most certainly cannot and will not change just by simply watching what someone else does. Almost a year ago we had some close friends run into some marital problems. Being a pastor and a pastor’s wife, we are commonly looked to as a source of assistance and counsel (although in many areas we’re just as ignorant as many others). In a conversation with the wife of this couple, she confided in Amy that we just made marriage look so easy. She saw how we acted with each other in public and thought she knew the entirety of our relationship. Amy laughed at her. She told her that we fight, we argue, we have our ups and downs just like everyone else. She shared with her some of the things that we have to do to make our marriage work, most of all that we anchor our marriage in the Lord. Simply observing us didn’t give her the entire story. I say this to point out that it’s impossible for us to learn simply by observing. We have to truly work at changing and understanding and growing. The biggest difference when it comes to something like marriage or living a healthier life and the Christian faith, is that we cannot do the majority of the work when it comes to our faith. All of the work that we put into is good, but that isn’t the extent of it. Sure, we can pray, read, study, worship, and numerous other religious practices, but true transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit alone.
The second thing that we are to learn from this account is that we cannot always tell who is saved. In our Presbyterian tradition, we could say that we cannot tell who is counted among the elect. I’m pretty certain that none of the disciples thought that the faith of Judas was any different from their own. Common sense would be to just assume that the twelve men who followed Jesus so closely would all be devoutly devoted to him. I mean these men faced hardships and persecution and ridicule for the sake of following Christ. You would think that if any of them were not completely committed to Christ that they would have had enough and fallen off at some point. At the very least, you would think that something would have happened at some point to give the other disciples some suspicion as to Judas’ commitment, or lack thereof. However, there is nothing to the sort found anywhere in Scripture. How many times have we seen the pillar of a church or a Christian organization fall because of sin and evil? There are horror stories out there. Pastors and other church leaders caught in adulterous relationships, embezzling church funds, or living secret heinous lifestyles, just awful examples of leadership from those who quite honestly we would think are the least in doubt as it pertains to their faith and their salvation. It also works the other way. How many times have we seen someone who doesn’t fit the image of the clean-cut Christian and we immediately begin to cast judgment. Admittedly, I have been in settings completely devoid of the church and met new people and they are shocked to find out that I’m a pastor. I don’t know what they’re expecting a pastor to be, but I guess I’m not it (although there are sometimes when I think of that as being more of a compliment than I probably should).
The third thing that we can see from this account is the patience of Christ. You see, Jesus knew that Judas was to betray him all along. As we have seen, Jesus knew the Scriptures. He knew the prophecies of the Old Testament. He knew that there was a betrayal to come, and he most likely knew that it would come in the form of Judas. However, we’re never told that Jesus treated Judas any differently than any of the other disciples. And the patience of our Lord gives us another reason to rejoice. We heard from 1 John 1, just as we do each Sunday prior to our confessing our sins, that all of us have sinned, we are reminded that God is patient with us. We stray, we run, we sin, and we offend God, yet He remains patient with us. He continues to love us and care for us and provide for us without end despite our disregard for His will.
Ultimately, this passage does two things, it tells us of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus that is soon to come. That’s the chronological effect of this passage. However, it also teaches us those important lessons about the Christian life: 1.) you and I cannot change simply by watching other Christians, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to truly change our hearts and regenerate us; 2.) that we cannot tell who is saved simply by outward appearances, that is a matter that only God knows; and 3.) that Christ is extremely patient with us, so we need to rejoice in the fact that someone who commands us to live in a certain way is patient with us in our attempts to get there. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful each and every day that my Savior is one who understands me, forgives me, and cares about me so much that he has called me his own and chosen to give me the title of Christian. It is a title that although carries with it many preconceived notions, many of them negative in today’s world, it is a title that I wear very proudly. It is a title that I intend to spend my entire life try to live up to the lofty standards that it carries with it. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
So often, we forget that our Savior was human. No, we don’t deny his humanity in the same sense that the heresy known as Docetism does, but we forget that Jesus had the full array of human feelings and emotions. We’re told here that as he’s telling his disciple of this impending betrayal that he is “troubled in his spirit.” Now we’ve seen this phrase before in John’s gospel and we noted that it carries with it a sense that Jesus is very much pained and deeply moved by what is on his mind. It is visible to John, the author of the gospel, that Jesus is troubled by what he is telling them. Even though we commonly think of Jesus as never showing emotion, that isn’t the case, especially not here.
My wife tells me all the time to stop being a guy and just be honest with her. Now, let me clarify that statement a little bit before just leaving it up to your imaginations. There’s something that is hardwired in me where I’m not supposed to ever let my wife (or anyone else for that matter) know when something is bothering me. It’s a trait that unfortunately seems very present in many men, and even more to the point seems to only get worse with marriage and kids. However, there are times, despite my best efforts to remain stoic, that my wife can obviously see that there is something wrong with me. I may think that I am holding it together so that no one is any the wiser, but she can see it as plain as day in my face and hear it in my voice that there is something that is not right with me. John has that insight and understanding here when it comes to Jesus and what he is feeling at this time. John can see and hear in Jesus that it pains him to say these words and to know what is about to come.
Obviously, as the disciples hear Jesus say that one of them is going to betray him, they become very interested in finding out who it is. We’re told that Simon Peter even has the disciple whom Jesus loved (most likely John) ask Jesus point blank who he was referencing when he made his statement about an impending betrayal. Now, what comes next is a little puzzling to many Christians today, at least it can be if we do not read the text carefully. We’re told that Jesus responds to John's inquisition by saying that the betrayer is the one whom he will give the bread to. So, Jesus dips the bread into some type of liquid substance and then hands it to Judas. He then tells Judas to go and hurry and do what he has to do. Now, the confusing part if we’re not careful is that we would expect to then find words of outrage here on the part of the disciples directed towards Judas. However, we are specifically told that none of the disciples really knew what was going on. They didn’t know why Jesus told Judas to go and they certainly never become upset with him. You see, the words of Jesus about the betrayer being the one given the piece of bread were spoken only to John. John was sitting at Jesus’ right hand during this account. After John’s question, Jesus did not respond to the entire group, but he only leaned over to John and told him what was about to happen. So you see, it should not confuse us that none of the disciples were outraged at Jesus’ handing the bread to Judas.
Forgetting the scene from the disciples’ perspective for a moment I want to look at it from Jesus’ point of view. You see, Jesus had called Judas to be one of the twelve some three years prior. Over the course of those three years, Judas has seen the miracles: the feeding of the 5,000, the healing of paralyzed and sick men, the resurrection of Lazarus. Over the course of those three years, Judas has heard the teachings: the parables, he was front-and-center for the Sermon on the Mount. Over the course of those three years, Judas has been by Jesus’ side and been one of his closest confidantes. It’s no wonder that Jesus was pained by knowing what was to come with Judas’ betrayal.
Judas’ soon-to-be betrayal of Jesus after those three years teaches us what I view to be three very important lessons or things to remember when it comes to our own Christian living today. The first is that it takes more than a good example. As we just said, Judas has been right there sitting under Jesus for three years. If ever someone was going to learn about following Christ simply by being given a good example, it would have been one of the disciples. But you see, a person changing and being transformed is not a work that can be done alone. No, it is a work of the Holy Spirit, a work of God. A person cannot change themself and he/she most certainly cannot and will not change just by simply watching what someone else does. Almost a year ago we had some close friends run into some marital problems. Being a pastor and a pastor’s wife, we are commonly looked to as a source of assistance and counsel (although in many areas we’re just as ignorant as many others). In a conversation with the wife of this couple, she confided in Amy that we just made marriage look so easy. She saw how we acted with each other in public and thought she knew the entirety of our relationship. Amy laughed at her. She told her that we fight, we argue, we have our ups and downs just like everyone else. She shared with her some of the things that we have to do to make our marriage work, most of all that we anchor our marriage in the Lord. Simply observing us didn’t give her the entire story. I say this to point out that it’s impossible for us to learn simply by observing. We have to truly work at changing and understanding and growing. The biggest difference when it comes to something like marriage or living a healthier life and the Christian faith, is that we cannot do the majority of the work when it comes to our faith. All of the work that we put into is good, but that isn’t the extent of it. Sure, we can pray, read, study, worship, and numerous other religious practices, but true transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit alone.
The second thing that we are to learn from this account is that we cannot always tell who is saved. In our Presbyterian tradition, we could say that we cannot tell who is counted among the elect. I’m pretty certain that none of the disciples thought that the faith of Judas was any different from their own. Common sense would be to just assume that the twelve men who followed Jesus so closely would all be devoutly devoted to him. I mean these men faced hardships and persecution and ridicule for the sake of following Christ. You would think that if any of them were not completely committed to Christ that they would have had enough and fallen off at some point. At the very least, you would think that something would have happened at some point to give the other disciples some suspicion as to Judas’ commitment, or lack thereof. However, there is nothing to the sort found anywhere in Scripture. How many times have we seen the pillar of a church or a Christian organization fall because of sin and evil? There are horror stories out there. Pastors and other church leaders caught in adulterous relationships, embezzling church funds, or living secret heinous lifestyles, just awful examples of leadership from those who quite honestly we would think are the least in doubt as it pertains to their faith and their salvation. It also works the other way. How many times have we seen someone who doesn’t fit the image of the clean-cut Christian and we immediately begin to cast judgment. Admittedly, I have been in settings completely devoid of the church and met new people and they are shocked to find out that I’m a pastor. I don’t know what they’re expecting a pastor to be, but I guess I’m not it (although there are sometimes when I think of that as being more of a compliment than I probably should).
The third thing that we can see from this account is the patience of Christ. You see, Jesus knew that Judas was to betray him all along. As we have seen, Jesus knew the Scriptures. He knew the prophecies of the Old Testament. He knew that there was a betrayal to come, and he most likely knew that it would come in the form of Judas. However, we’re never told that Jesus treated Judas any differently than any of the other disciples. And the patience of our Lord gives us another reason to rejoice. We heard from 1 John 1, just as we do each Sunday prior to our confessing our sins, that all of us have sinned, we are reminded that God is patient with us. We stray, we run, we sin, and we offend God, yet He remains patient with us. He continues to love us and care for us and provide for us without end despite our disregard for His will.
Ultimately, this passage does two things, it tells us of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus that is soon to come. That’s the chronological effect of this passage. However, it also teaches us those important lessons about the Christian life: 1.) you and I cannot change simply by watching other Christians, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to truly change our hearts and regenerate us; 2.) that we cannot tell who is saved simply by outward appearances, that is a matter that only God knows; and 3.) that Christ is extremely patient with us, so we need to rejoice in the fact that someone who commands us to live in a certain way is patient with us in our attempts to get there. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful each and every day that my Savior is one who understands me, forgives me, and cares about me so much that he has called me his own and chosen to give me the title of Christian. It is a title that although carries with it many preconceived notions, many of them negative in today’s world, it is a title that I wear very proudly. It is a title that I intend to spend my entire life try to live up to the lofty standards that it carries with it. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
John 13:1-20 "Humility and Cleansing"
Beginning today and carrying us through the end of September, we will look at the second half of John’s gospel. You see, what we have looked at over the past nine months or so is commonly referred to as the Book of Signs, chapters 1-12 of John’s gospel. This title is primarily due to the numerous signs and miracles performed by Jesus during his ministry as proof of who he truly is. The second half of John’s gospel, chapters 13-25, is commonly known as the Book of Glory. This “book” contains Jesus’ farewell discourse and John’s account of the passion narrative. It’s commonly said that the first half of John’s gospel points to Christ’s work and the purpose for it, while the second half shows the glory of his work. Regardless of this or any other perceived division in John’s gospel, we come today to a text that is familiar to most all of us. Those of us who gathered here for our Maundy Thursday service only a few weeks ago may recall that we briefly looked at this passage before partaking of the Lord’s Supper, a sacrament in which we will celebrate again here today.
This text is also, however, the source of some controversy as well. In our Reformed tradition, there are only two things that are considered sacraments: the aforementioned Lord’s Supper and baptism. That being said, there are some groups out there that consider foot washing to be a sacrament and they point to this text as a primary supporter of such practices and beliefs. Now, what I hope to do this morning is to quickly look at this text and see three things. First, is this a sacrament or not? Second, if not, then what is it? And thirdly, what does it mean for us as we sit here today? So with our task laid out before us, let’s begin our look at the text that we have today.
First, should foot washing be considered a sacrament? Well, first we have to know what a sacrament is, and I can think of no better place to turn that our Westminster Confession of Faith. There we find that a sacrament is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. It is something that is instituted by God and that confirms our position with Christ. Sacraments demonstrate the difference or distinction between those who belong to the Church and those who do not. Well, working from this definition, this action doesn’t really fit the description of a sacrament. Foot washing was a common practice of the day and it was performed on a regular basis as a sign of respect and cleansing. Even this instance of foot washing was not something that was strictly and specifically commanded by God. Yes, Jesus does tell the disciples to was others feet just as he has washed their feet. However, it isn’t commanded that we repeat such action on a regular basis like it is for communion or baptism. There is no command to continue such actions until Christ comes again.
So, if foot washing is not a sacrament, then what is it? Well, as we’ve already said, foot washing was an act of both respect and cleansing. I’m a flip-flops and sandals kind of guy. If I had my preference, that’s my go-to footwear. If I wouldn’t get made fun of about it would probably have some on right now. I’ve also walked many a dirt road wearing such types of shoes, and do you know what my feet look like when I take my shoes off. The outline of my sandals is still there on my feet. You see, during Jesus’ day such shoes were the common footwear and all the roads were dirt. No matter how clean a person was, the chances were quite great that a person’s feet were going to be in need of cleaning; a person’s feet were almost always dirty. The problem was that feet were seen as the most unclean part of a person. It was outside the realm of common decency for you to ask someone to clean your feet. Thus it was almost always a completely voluntary chore. Most of the time, it was done just as we saw Mary do earlier or Jesus do in this text; it was done in a manner that was initiated by the person doing the washing.
Nearly fifteen years ago I was in Jamaica on a mission trip. Our group spent two weeks there building houses, leading Bible studies, and helping the local community. Each night there was a group session in which someone spoke about being thankful and humble at the sights and events that we had experienced. On our last night there together, the leader of our group brought in these huge bowls and wash clothes and I had no idea what was going on. He spoke on this passage and he talked about how in the eyes of the world that we were probably all seen as being greater than the ones that we were helping, but that that shouldn’t matter. He spoke of how Christ was so much great than his disciples, yet it was Christ who washed their feet. We see in our text that Peter is a little confused and thinks that he should be the one washing the feet of Jesus. After all, he is the servant of Christ, the disciple. The Greek word that we translate as disciple means disciple, student, or servant. After Jesus tells Peter that if he doesn’t wash his feet, then Peter has no share with Christ, we see Peter say, “Lord, don’t stop with my feet but wash my hands, my head, and anything else you want to wash.”
So the leader of this group that I’m in Jamaica with brings in these bowls and rags and begins to fill the bowls up with water. By now we’re all looking around asking “He’s not about to ask us to do what we think he is, is he?” Mind you, we’ve all been working for two weeks in a foreign country, putting in 12 hour days in nearly 100⁰ weather, we’ve had our feet crammed in work boots during these long days, and there was no hot water to be found in the camp. None of us were looking forward to washing our own feet, much less someone else’s. The leader finishes filling up the bowls, brings in the families that we have been helping the past few weeks and says, “You have done God’s work in helping these families rebuild their lives, now show that you are will to serve God completely and place yourself as being no greater than any other.” What proceeded to come was a washing of nearly 100 people’s feet in total. It truly was a moving experience and something that I will likely never forget as long as I live.
And this brings us to the final question about this text and foot washing, what does it mean for us today and what place does it have in our modern setting? Well, seeing that it isn’t a sacrament, it isn’t a regular practice to be observed during worship. However, I don’t see anything wrong with the practice in and of itself. In fact, I know of several sister congregations of ours within the EPC who take part in a foot washing service at some point during the year. But that’s not what I’m wanting to get at today. What I’m wanting us to see is the “so what” of this passage. I’m wanting us to find out what this passage means for us today. Ultimately, I think it teaches us two things. I think that it teaches us about humility. As I mentioned before, the foot washing that I took part in many years ago was done in order to teach us about being humble and us seeing ourselves as no greater than those whom we are called to serve. Jesus himself was teaching the disciples and us about humility with this example here. We know that from the words that he gives to the disciples after he has washed their feet. But I also think that there is something else that is to be found behind this particular instance of foot washing. If we were to look back at verse 10 we find Jesus saying in response to Peter’s desire to be completely washed by Christ, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.” Here Jesus is speaking of another water cleansing, of baptism. He’s speaking of the washing away of sins that is represented with the sacrament of baptism. He’s speaking of a washing away of sins that he is about to accomplish once and for all. This is a foreshadowing of what Jesus is about to do. This is a foretelling of the events that we just celebrated in which Jesus conquers death and sin and shows us that he has the power over life and death and resurrection.
As we see Jesus humble himself and wash the feet of his disciples, we need to remind ourselves that this isn’t the extent of his humility. Jesus’ humbling and humiliation began in Bethlehem. It began when he took the form of man. The words of Paul in Philippians 2 ring ever true here today, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Friends, God himself, the Christ, out of nothing but His love for us came and took the form of man and laid down his own life. His life wasn’t taken from him, but he gave it voluntarily for you and for me.
So we’re left asking the question of how this account of Jesus washing the disciples feet should affect us. Well, it should teach us that we are to serve. It should teach us that there is not one of us who is any great than another. It should teach us that all that we say we have and all that we are comes from Christ. It is because of the redeeming work of our Savior that we are blessed with all that we have. Friends, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Ruler of All Nations humbled himself and cleansed the feet of his disciples, his students. It is a slap in the face for us to think that we are above serving God and above serving a fellow man simply because of our place in this world. I don’t know what God is calling each of us to do with our lives. That is a matter between yourself and God. What I do know, however, is that not one of us has any reason whatsoever to not serve Him. Yes, sometimes it isn’t convenient. Sometimes God calls us to do things when we already have a lot on our plates. Sometimes he calls us to go to places or do things that we really don’t want to. But if we are to truly see the humility in which God calls each of us to live our lives, then we will quickly realize that we have no right to say no when God calls us. Our response should not be just, “Lord I will serve”, but “Lord, I will serve however you need me.” When we truly humble ourselves before God and submit ourselves completely to His will, then we truly understand what it means to be called a servant of God. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This text is also, however, the source of some controversy as well. In our Reformed tradition, there are only two things that are considered sacraments: the aforementioned Lord’s Supper and baptism. That being said, there are some groups out there that consider foot washing to be a sacrament and they point to this text as a primary supporter of such practices and beliefs. Now, what I hope to do this morning is to quickly look at this text and see three things. First, is this a sacrament or not? Second, if not, then what is it? And thirdly, what does it mean for us as we sit here today? So with our task laid out before us, let’s begin our look at the text that we have today.
First, should foot washing be considered a sacrament? Well, first we have to know what a sacrament is, and I can think of no better place to turn that our Westminster Confession of Faith. There we find that a sacrament is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. It is something that is instituted by God and that confirms our position with Christ. Sacraments demonstrate the difference or distinction between those who belong to the Church and those who do not. Well, working from this definition, this action doesn’t really fit the description of a sacrament. Foot washing was a common practice of the day and it was performed on a regular basis as a sign of respect and cleansing. Even this instance of foot washing was not something that was strictly and specifically commanded by God. Yes, Jesus does tell the disciples to was others feet just as he has washed their feet. However, it isn’t commanded that we repeat such action on a regular basis like it is for communion or baptism. There is no command to continue such actions until Christ comes again.
So, if foot washing is not a sacrament, then what is it? Well, as we’ve already said, foot washing was an act of both respect and cleansing. I’m a flip-flops and sandals kind of guy. If I had my preference, that’s my go-to footwear. If I wouldn’t get made fun of about it would probably have some on right now. I’ve also walked many a dirt road wearing such types of shoes, and do you know what my feet look like when I take my shoes off. The outline of my sandals is still there on my feet. You see, during Jesus’ day such shoes were the common footwear and all the roads were dirt. No matter how clean a person was, the chances were quite great that a person’s feet were going to be in need of cleaning; a person’s feet were almost always dirty. The problem was that feet were seen as the most unclean part of a person. It was outside the realm of common decency for you to ask someone to clean your feet. Thus it was almost always a completely voluntary chore. Most of the time, it was done just as we saw Mary do earlier or Jesus do in this text; it was done in a manner that was initiated by the person doing the washing.
Nearly fifteen years ago I was in Jamaica on a mission trip. Our group spent two weeks there building houses, leading Bible studies, and helping the local community. Each night there was a group session in which someone spoke about being thankful and humble at the sights and events that we had experienced. On our last night there together, the leader of our group brought in these huge bowls and wash clothes and I had no idea what was going on. He spoke on this passage and he talked about how in the eyes of the world that we were probably all seen as being greater than the ones that we were helping, but that that shouldn’t matter. He spoke of how Christ was so much great than his disciples, yet it was Christ who washed their feet. We see in our text that Peter is a little confused and thinks that he should be the one washing the feet of Jesus. After all, he is the servant of Christ, the disciple. The Greek word that we translate as disciple means disciple, student, or servant. After Jesus tells Peter that if he doesn’t wash his feet, then Peter has no share with Christ, we see Peter say, “Lord, don’t stop with my feet but wash my hands, my head, and anything else you want to wash.”
So the leader of this group that I’m in Jamaica with brings in these bowls and rags and begins to fill the bowls up with water. By now we’re all looking around asking “He’s not about to ask us to do what we think he is, is he?” Mind you, we’ve all been working for two weeks in a foreign country, putting in 12 hour days in nearly 100⁰ weather, we’ve had our feet crammed in work boots during these long days, and there was no hot water to be found in the camp. None of us were looking forward to washing our own feet, much less someone else’s. The leader finishes filling up the bowls, brings in the families that we have been helping the past few weeks and says, “You have done God’s work in helping these families rebuild their lives, now show that you are will to serve God completely and place yourself as being no greater than any other.” What proceeded to come was a washing of nearly 100 people’s feet in total. It truly was a moving experience and something that I will likely never forget as long as I live.
And this brings us to the final question about this text and foot washing, what does it mean for us today and what place does it have in our modern setting? Well, seeing that it isn’t a sacrament, it isn’t a regular practice to be observed during worship. However, I don’t see anything wrong with the practice in and of itself. In fact, I know of several sister congregations of ours within the EPC who take part in a foot washing service at some point during the year. But that’s not what I’m wanting to get at today. What I’m wanting us to see is the “so what” of this passage. I’m wanting us to find out what this passage means for us today. Ultimately, I think it teaches us two things. I think that it teaches us about humility. As I mentioned before, the foot washing that I took part in many years ago was done in order to teach us about being humble and us seeing ourselves as no greater than those whom we are called to serve. Jesus himself was teaching the disciples and us about humility with this example here. We know that from the words that he gives to the disciples after he has washed their feet. But I also think that there is something else that is to be found behind this particular instance of foot washing. If we were to look back at verse 10 we find Jesus saying in response to Peter’s desire to be completely washed by Christ, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.” Here Jesus is speaking of another water cleansing, of baptism. He’s speaking of the washing away of sins that is represented with the sacrament of baptism. He’s speaking of a washing away of sins that he is about to accomplish once and for all. This is a foreshadowing of what Jesus is about to do. This is a foretelling of the events that we just celebrated in which Jesus conquers death and sin and shows us that he has the power over life and death and resurrection.
As we see Jesus humble himself and wash the feet of his disciples, we need to remind ourselves that this isn’t the extent of his humility. Jesus’ humbling and humiliation began in Bethlehem. It began when he took the form of man. The words of Paul in Philippians 2 ring ever true here today, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Friends, God himself, the Christ, out of nothing but His love for us came and took the form of man and laid down his own life. His life wasn’t taken from him, but he gave it voluntarily for you and for me.
So we’re left asking the question of how this account of Jesus washing the disciples feet should affect us. Well, it should teach us that we are to serve. It should teach us that there is not one of us who is any great than another. It should teach us that all that we say we have and all that we are comes from Christ. It is because of the redeeming work of our Savior that we are blessed with all that we have. Friends, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Ruler of All Nations humbled himself and cleansed the feet of his disciples, his students. It is a slap in the face for us to think that we are above serving God and above serving a fellow man simply because of our place in this world. I don’t know what God is calling each of us to do with our lives. That is a matter between yourself and God. What I do know, however, is that not one of us has any reason whatsoever to not serve Him. Yes, sometimes it isn’t convenient. Sometimes God calls us to do things when we already have a lot on our plates. Sometimes he calls us to go to places or do things that we really don’t want to. But if we are to truly see the humility in which God calls each of us to live our lives, then we will quickly realize that we have no right to say no when God calls us. Our response should not be just, “Lord I will serve”, but “Lord, I will serve however you need me.” When we truly humble ourselves before God and submit ourselves completely to His will, then we truly understand what it means to be called a servant of God. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday, April 8, 2013
John 12:36-50 "Why He Came"
Throughout our look at John’s gospel, as well as our current look at the events between the time of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his crucifixion, there has been one thing that could consistently be said about the people of this time. In fact, this one constant is something that could be said of many people today and throughout history. The one constant that has always existed when it comes to Christ is disbelief. Now, I realize that disbelief comes in many shapes and forms. There are some who will outright tell you that they don’t believe in God. There are those who have no issue with telling anyone and everyone that they simply do not believe in the one whom we worship. However, there are also those who say that they believe, yet their lives do not indicate it. They say that they will trust in the Lord and look for his guidance, but they don’t. They take matters into their own hands, or they follow their own desires even when they know that God is calling them to go down another path. Either way, both of these are examples of people who do not trust and believe in God; it’s just that one will admit it and the other won’t.
I’ve often asked myself why God allowed so many people in Jesus’ day to not believe in him. After all, wouldn’t Jesus’ ministry have been so much more amazing (as if it wasn’t amazing enough) if he had converted everyone by the mere opening of his mouth. What is every time Jesus spoke, it had the effect that Jonah’s words had on Nineveh and everyone repented and followed Christ? Here, John tells us why this wasn’t the case, he tells us why Jesus’ words didn’t instantly convert everyone. He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying, “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” You see, it’s simple. Many of these people where quite honestly not capable of believing in Christ. They wouldn’t believe during Isaiah’s time and they would believe during the time of Christ. Now, when I say that they weren’t capable of believing, don’t misunderstand me and think that I am saying that God forced them to sin and that he refused to rescue them. No, what I am saying is that God simply let them have what they wanted. He turned them over to their own sin. He allowed them to be engulfed by the things that they wanted so greatly that they placed them above God himself.
You see, after living in such a manner for so long, their hearts were completely hardened to God. Country music icon Willie Nelson is perhaps best known today for his extracurricular activities more than his music (which is a shame in-and-of-itself). One of his more famous quotes about his particular lifestyle says, “My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down - but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors so let's all have another round.” Now, we may want to laugh at the Redheaded Stranger, but we’re the same way. You see, he’s lived his life a certain way for so long that it seems impossible to him for a change to be made. When we have done things our entire lives, we resist changing at all costs. We become set in our ways and to a certain extent we fear change and are unwilling to even tolerate it, much less embrace it. We are willing to be as religious a and Godly as anyone, just as long as it doesn’t call us to give up any of the things that we have come to enjoy in our lives. As far as our text is concerned, after living lives so devoted to sin and turning from God for so long, it is not wonder that many of the people would reject Christ and not believe in him.
Meanwhile, in somewhat of an ironic twist, there are some members of the Sanhedrin who have come to believe in Christ. We will see later on in John’s gospel that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea are two of these Christ-believing members of the Sanhedrin, and there could have been more. However, just because they believe doesn’t mean that they speak up. We are told that they “would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” I think that these words here bring up a very interesting and real point for us today. How many times each day are we presented with an opportunity to spread the gospel? Think about it for a second. How many chances do we have to speak to someone about Christ, yet we don’t. You make that you don’t have that many chances, but think about it in terms of your friends and those who you come in contact with. If you have any friends or family that you don’t know the status of their faith, then that is a missed opportunity. As I’ve said many times, we love to talk, just not about Jesus. We love to have conversations with folks, just not about things that matter. We would rather talk about others and about what the newest possession in our lives happens to be. We love the praise and acceptance of others, so we shy away from the potential ridicule of other people when we bring up our faith.
After John tells us of the disbelief of some and the belief of others, he records for us the words of Jesus as he describes and summarizes his message and the purpose of his work. Now, all of the notions that we find in these words from Christ are things that we have already seen several times over during our look at John’s gospel. The first thing that Jesus talks about is that when we follow him, that we are no just following him but that we are following the Father as well. This most certainly is nothing new. We have said many times before that you cannot separate the Father from the Son. You cannot have God the Father without Jesus Christ the Son. Any system of believing that attempts to remove the Son from the equation is a system that seeks to remove God Himself from the equation. The Father is the one who sent the Son into the world and they are eternally, intimately, and divinely linked together as two of the three members of the Trinity.
Then, Jesus goes on to tell us the primary purpose for his coming. He says that those who hear his word and do not believe that they should not feel judged, at least not yet. You see, Jesus’ coming into this world was not about judgment, but about atonement for God’s people. Jesus’ first coming was about paying the price that was owed to God because of the sins of man. However, his second coming, the one that we are told about in Matthew 25 and Luke 12 and read about in the book of Revelation, that coming will be about judgment. You know, that’s one of the great misconceptions about the Christian faith that exists in our world today. So many think that the job of the Christian is to sit back and hurl stones of judgment at others for anything that they may have done that is seen as sinful. As if any of us have the right to be able to sling stones at anyone else. You see, it’s not or job to judge, it’s Christ’s. There’s no need for us to worry about judgment because Jesus will take care of all judgment when the proper time comes. Our job is to devote our lives to Christ until our time of judgment. Our job is to proclaim the gospel and fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
Finally, Jesus tells us by what authority he has come into this world and said all these things. He was sent by God, by the Father, to proclaim his message. You see, Jesus was a divine missionary of sorts. He wasn’t coming and promoting his own message, but the message of God. I have a lot of friends who find my opinions and ideals about certain issues to be intolerant and narrow-minded. When I am accused of such I say to folks, “Don’t blame me. There not my opinions. I’m just repeating what God commands of us in Scripture.” God the Father gave the Son a mission, just as He has given each of us a mission. He has given us a command to take His Word into the world, making disciples of others. He hasn’t given us His Word so that we can study it and keep it to ourselves and be able to answer trivia questions about it. He gave us His Word so that we may have it to proclaim. Modern day Christian author Francis Chan recently ran a commercial for an upcoming series in which he related telling his daughter to clean up his room to God telling us to evangelize. He said that when he tells his daughter to clean her room, he doesn’t want her to come back and be able to quote what he said or recite it in Greek or Hebrew. No, he wants her to clean her room. He wants her to do what he is commanding of her. Why would God’s commands be seen any differently? Friends, Christ was sent to save, and he commands us to continue that mission. He commands us to “Go, baptize, and make disciples.” If we are not doing that, then we are turning away from the very work that God has given each one of us to do. Don’t let a day go by where you are not fulfilling the great and noble task that God has given to us all. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I’ve often asked myself why God allowed so many people in Jesus’ day to not believe in him. After all, wouldn’t Jesus’ ministry have been so much more amazing (as if it wasn’t amazing enough) if he had converted everyone by the mere opening of his mouth. What is every time Jesus spoke, it had the effect that Jonah’s words had on Nineveh and everyone repented and followed Christ? Here, John tells us why this wasn’t the case, he tells us why Jesus’ words didn’t instantly convert everyone. He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying, “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” You see, it’s simple. Many of these people where quite honestly not capable of believing in Christ. They wouldn’t believe during Isaiah’s time and they would believe during the time of Christ. Now, when I say that they weren’t capable of believing, don’t misunderstand me and think that I am saying that God forced them to sin and that he refused to rescue them. No, what I am saying is that God simply let them have what they wanted. He turned them over to their own sin. He allowed them to be engulfed by the things that they wanted so greatly that they placed them above God himself.
You see, after living in such a manner for so long, their hearts were completely hardened to God. Country music icon Willie Nelson is perhaps best known today for his extracurricular activities more than his music (which is a shame in-and-of-itself). One of his more famous quotes about his particular lifestyle says, “My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down - but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors so let's all have another round.” Now, we may want to laugh at the Redheaded Stranger, but we’re the same way. You see, he’s lived his life a certain way for so long that it seems impossible to him for a change to be made. When we have done things our entire lives, we resist changing at all costs. We become set in our ways and to a certain extent we fear change and are unwilling to even tolerate it, much less embrace it. We are willing to be as religious a and Godly as anyone, just as long as it doesn’t call us to give up any of the things that we have come to enjoy in our lives. As far as our text is concerned, after living lives so devoted to sin and turning from God for so long, it is not wonder that many of the people would reject Christ and not believe in him.
Meanwhile, in somewhat of an ironic twist, there are some members of the Sanhedrin who have come to believe in Christ. We will see later on in John’s gospel that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea are two of these Christ-believing members of the Sanhedrin, and there could have been more. However, just because they believe doesn’t mean that they speak up. We are told that they “would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” I think that these words here bring up a very interesting and real point for us today. How many times each day are we presented with an opportunity to spread the gospel? Think about it for a second. How many chances do we have to speak to someone about Christ, yet we don’t. You make that you don’t have that many chances, but think about it in terms of your friends and those who you come in contact with. If you have any friends or family that you don’t know the status of their faith, then that is a missed opportunity. As I’ve said many times, we love to talk, just not about Jesus. We love to have conversations with folks, just not about things that matter. We would rather talk about others and about what the newest possession in our lives happens to be. We love the praise and acceptance of others, so we shy away from the potential ridicule of other people when we bring up our faith.
After John tells us of the disbelief of some and the belief of others, he records for us the words of Jesus as he describes and summarizes his message and the purpose of his work. Now, all of the notions that we find in these words from Christ are things that we have already seen several times over during our look at John’s gospel. The first thing that Jesus talks about is that when we follow him, that we are no just following him but that we are following the Father as well. This most certainly is nothing new. We have said many times before that you cannot separate the Father from the Son. You cannot have God the Father without Jesus Christ the Son. Any system of believing that attempts to remove the Son from the equation is a system that seeks to remove God Himself from the equation. The Father is the one who sent the Son into the world and they are eternally, intimately, and divinely linked together as two of the three members of the Trinity.
Then, Jesus goes on to tell us the primary purpose for his coming. He says that those who hear his word and do not believe that they should not feel judged, at least not yet. You see, Jesus’ coming into this world was not about judgment, but about atonement for God’s people. Jesus’ first coming was about paying the price that was owed to God because of the sins of man. However, his second coming, the one that we are told about in Matthew 25 and Luke 12 and read about in the book of Revelation, that coming will be about judgment. You know, that’s one of the great misconceptions about the Christian faith that exists in our world today. So many think that the job of the Christian is to sit back and hurl stones of judgment at others for anything that they may have done that is seen as sinful. As if any of us have the right to be able to sling stones at anyone else. You see, it’s not or job to judge, it’s Christ’s. There’s no need for us to worry about judgment because Jesus will take care of all judgment when the proper time comes. Our job is to devote our lives to Christ until our time of judgment. Our job is to proclaim the gospel and fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
Finally, Jesus tells us by what authority he has come into this world and said all these things. He was sent by God, by the Father, to proclaim his message. You see, Jesus was a divine missionary of sorts. He wasn’t coming and promoting his own message, but the message of God. I have a lot of friends who find my opinions and ideals about certain issues to be intolerant and narrow-minded. When I am accused of such I say to folks, “Don’t blame me. There not my opinions. I’m just repeating what God commands of us in Scripture.” God the Father gave the Son a mission, just as He has given each of us a mission. He has given us a command to take His Word into the world, making disciples of others. He hasn’t given us His Word so that we can study it and keep it to ourselves and be able to answer trivia questions about it. He gave us His Word so that we may have it to proclaim. Modern day Christian author Francis Chan recently ran a commercial for an upcoming series in which he related telling his daughter to clean up his room to God telling us to evangelize. He said that when he tells his daughter to clean her room, he doesn’t want her to come back and be able to quote what he said or recite it in Greek or Hebrew. No, he wants her to clean her room. He wants her to do what he is commanding of her. Why would God’s commands be seen any differently? Friends, Christ was sent to save, and he commands us to continue that mission. He commands us to “Go, baptize, and make disciples.” If we are not doing that, then we are turning away from the very work that God has given each one of us to do. Don’t let a day go by where you are not fulfilling the great and noble task that God has given to us all. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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