I have no doubt many of you know this story. The disciples, whom Jesus had instructed, have prepared everything for the Passover meal. They are in an upper room together. No doubt the disciples heads are a whirl at the remembrance of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem but also confused by the words of Christ about his impending death. They are now together, like all Jews at that time, celebrating the Passover, and what a joy for them to be celebrating it in Jerusalem. Everything is ready for the evening meal and John tells us something very significant in verse 1. Read the last sentence - 'he (Jesus) now showed them the extent of his love.'
That is a little sentence and yet it is the very key which opens up the interpretation and understanding of this passage. What Christ is about to do and say is no small act but one packed with meaning and significance for his disciples and for us. Turn to verses 2-5. The evening meal is being served but something important has not been carried out before they can eat. These are poor men. They have no servants to serve them. Yet, they cannot possibly begin eating their evening meal, and certainly not the Passover, without washing first. In Luke's account of the Last Supper (Luke 22.24) he records that as the disciples enter the room they are arguing over who is the greatest amongst them. The result is that none of them is prepared to lose face before the other disciples by carrying out the lowliest task of being the servant who carries the wash bowl and who washes their feet. To each of them this would be an act of humiliation. Not just an act of servitude but of humiliation - yet John describes it as the 'extent of his love for them.' Please keep that in mind as we travel on through this passage - to 12 men it was humiliation but for one man it was the extent of his love being shown. Look at John's John's gospel - chapter 1 verse 27. These words spoken by John the Baptist show us how he understood that the lowliest task was untying laces of a sandal. Now the one of whom he spoke is about to get down on his hands and knees into the dust and untie the sandals of the men he had created.
Verse 4 so Christ gets up and removes his outer garments. I am sure at first the disciples, so caught up in jockeying for position do not even notice him standing up but as he begins to undress and wrap the towel around his waist silence falls on the room. You know that embarrassed silence when you realise someone is doing something that is going to make everyone uncomfortable and not because they are acting strangely? That uncomfortable feeling we get when we experience someone expressing undeserved love towards us? That experience of embarrassment when someone does something for us in front of other people that was totally unexpected. I think that is exactly what is going on here in the upper room. John tells us that Jesus laid aside his garments - Paul uses the same term about Christ laying aside his majesty when he writes in Philippians 2. He sets aside his garments/majesty and in so doing takes on the mantle of a servant. He picks up a towel, the sign and symbol of a servant. The picking up of a towel and bowl shows to all his disciples, and to us, that he has chosen the place of no consequence, of not power and no authority. Here is the one who is the greatest amongst them disrobing of all power, status and authority in order to show them the extent of his love. Can you learn from that?
Verse 5 - you know what would happen in our society. Someone in authority would lift the towel and the bowl and then everyone would run to take up the task and the 'leader' would let them basking in the false humility that he was about to do the menial task. Christ says nothing to them. This is no attention grabbing exercise. He pours water into the bowl and bows before each of the twelve and washes their feet. John has told us already that he knew all about the plot to betray and kill him and yet he kneels before Judas and washes his feet also. Friends, here is the extent of his love - washing the feet of his disciples without favouritism. He makes no difference amongst the 12 before him. Can you learn from that?
I don't want to go into the dialogue between Christ and Peter. Suffice to say that sometimes we all behave like Peter - false humility in not wishing someone to serve us. You see Peter was willing to let one of the other disciples to wash his feet because it would have placed him, in his eyes, above them in the pecking order. He wasn't prepared to allow Jesus to do that because he knew Jesus was his master and Lord (chapter 15). Christ rebukes such false humility - remember that.
Look at verses 12-17. This is the night of his betrayal, this is his last meal with them and here is his last opportunity to teach them - he sets them an example of servanthood/discipleship and instructs them to follow that example. Do you not think it is significant? He could have sought out their sympathy for what is about to unfold but instead he serves them. He asks, in verse 12, if they have understood what he has done for them? In verses 15 and 16 he explains to them that he is, rightly, their Lord and master but if they are to be truly his servants then they must follow his example and do as he has done. Then in verse 17 he instructs, commands, them to follow his example.
Being a disciple of Christ is not about the big acts of service. As one commentator put it - it is not about putting £1000 on the plate but of giving it out 10 pence at a time. It is about listening to people, helping and caring, the cup of coffee here, the hug there and the prayer aid. Discipleship is giving £1000 out 10 pence at a time. You see discipleship at your chuch is serving Christ by serving others little by little over the long haul.
Whyare you called to discipleship at your church? Because he commands it. Because he set us an example. Because it is how his will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Being such a disciple focuses on God's will and not my will. Christ's example to me is one of denying myself, of death of self for others. It is an example of serving all, even those who will (or have) betrayed me and who will, given the opportunity, murder me. The real joy of discipleship is in serving God and not the adulation of men. The real joy of discipleship is in serving God and not in the task itself. How does that work out at Holy Trinity? For us all it means Christ comes first and we come last. The little children's chorus 'J.O.Y...' comes to mind.
It means using your hurts to heal others. Stop for a moment and think about this - do you not think that Christ was hurt, as a man, to know that Judas would betray him, Peter would deny him and the rest would desert him? He could have sulked and sat silent at the table - drawing attention to his pain and hurt!!!! Instead he served them. He used this hurt to heal - 2 Corinthians 1 verse 4. Some of you have a choice this morning - you can nurse your hurts within this fellowship or you can use them to heal others by following the example of Christ.
By serving you are obeying Christ and following his example. By serving you are also pointing others to Christ. You know in the world we inhabit people are not used to such acts of kindness. People often cannot understand why someone would serve in such a way without seeking something in return. Discipleship points to the grace of God in your life and it shares that grace with others. Christ picked up a towel and washed their feet. Peter picked up a sword and cut off Malchus' ear. Put the sword down - it cuts, it harms and it never washes another's feet like your Lord and Saviour did. Pick up a towel, wash, clean, soother and help heal someone by being a disciple in your church
Finally - Christ served all of the disciples. His love was not reserved for a few. In Matthew 5 he told them to love their enemies. In John 13 he showed them the extent of that love and washed all their feet. He actively demonstrated love. He told them, and us, you are not above me - do the same.
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