Manifested Love Pt 3 Graphic Message
John 13:12-17 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Human beings, being who they are, tend to make everything Jesus does a proscription for a future ordinance. If “Jesus did it, we should do it.” In this case that would be a mistake because foot washing was the method of teaching, not the content of the message. Jesus was using a practice common to the culture of his day to convey the message, but the practice was not the message. Further, the disciples were so shocked by what had happened that it was probable the message would have been missed if it were not reinforced.
So then, what is the message? In another context, it is presented very clearly by James:
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:14-18)
If there were just one word which could describe John 13-17, indeed all of Scripture, it would be love. Jesus has not rebuked his disciples as if to say, “You should have been doing this!”, but he is giving an example of what true love looks like. Love does not look like washing another’s feet, but it does look like the willingness to do so.
The disciples thought washing another’s feet was beneath their station. This attitude smacks of pride and arrogance. Jesus is the Lord and Creator of the universe so washing the disciple’s feet certainly was beneath his station. Yet he chose to ignore that, and by example is showing us the ignorance and insensitivity of our ways. It does not matter what is our station in life; our proper point of reference as we relate to one another is love. It is no accident the Greatest Commandment is to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and that the Second is to love one another as we want to be loved. And as the thought is further expressed by James, the fullest expression of love for one another is doing things for each other.
That’s what Jesus was saying in the foot washing. He knew he was about to leave them, and he wanted them to just how much he loved them. So he demonstrated it in the most dramatic, tender, and counter-cultural way available. Everyone has a circle of influence, a set of friends, and inside that circle we have unique opportunities to do things for one another simply because we love them. The opportunities are almost endless, including simple things like buying coffee or big things like running errands or helping move. It all involves attitude though, so giving with a quid pro quo expectation is not the right approach. But inside the circle, our friends sort of expect us to love them. It is outside the circle where real Kingdom work is done. If we do, in fact, follow the two Greatest Commandments then we must act like it. The things we do must match the things we say. And John develops this idea further in a few verses when he says
34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
By extension everyone will know we are followers of Jesus if we love one another.
All of this is good, but I think the greater message lays in v17: We are blessed if we do these things. Did you know being blessed is different than being happy? Being happy is a condition determined by our emotions which themselves are determined by the conditions around us. Being blessed is a state granted by God irrespective of emotion or condition and is exclusively based on relationship with God. Once again in the translation into English, some of the meaning has been lost on us. In Greek the present tense (in this case, “do”) gives the sense of continuing and ongoing action. So Jesus is saying if we do theses things, continue to do them, and remain doing them that they will become habit. A sort of muscle memory will develop; humility and love will be so much a part of our way of living that we will hardly be aware we do them.
This is where blessing comes in. When humility and love are the very essence of our character, they soon become embedded in our heart, and once there, they inform all our decisions and actions.
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:6-7)
If we do the things of God we are blessed. If we avoid the things of the world we are blessed. If we engage in the noble, praiseworthy, righteous, and holy things, then good things happen to us as we send good things into the world. The principle of these verses is to love one another unconditionally, without concern for station or position, thinking only about the other’s needs. It means avoiding criticism, or complaining, or conflict so that all of us gain in relationship with Christ Jesus. That, my friends, leads to a life well lived.