Can you picture Jesus standing up and drying his hands, having washed the dirty feet of his followers.
It’s the night of the Passover, the same night Jesus would be betrayed and die a terrible death on the Cross.
So, this is his last conversation, his last opportunity, to impress on these fearful and uncertain disciples the most important things he wants them to understand.
He washes their feet as a humble servant would, even Judas is included.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Later, he gathers them and says this:
Jesus knew these guys often argued! He knew that those who would follow them would often disagree about all sorts of things. He knew that there would be many areas of Christian living where his disciples and those who came after them would hold differing convictions and would shake their heads at others who thought differently.
So he gives them this commandment — “Love one another as I have loved you.”
That’s the litmus test. That level of commitment and compassion and grace and generosity would be extended to each other, in spite of cultural differences or disagreements about aspects of the faith. This extreme love would baffle the world. That unswerving love for Jesus as Lord and through him, love even for bitter and cruel enemies, this ended up so astonishing the Roman world that the church flourished and grew, in spite of the painful challenges and persecutions it faced.
SENT AS JESUS WAS SENT
“Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:18-21)
Can you just imagine?
Sent as Jesus was sent! Picture Jesus’ humility, gentleness and love? Even as he is nailed to the cross he prays: “Forgive them for what they do.”
How many times ought we forgive others? Seven times? No! Seventy times seven! That was an expression that meant that you never-ever stopped forgiving them!
And he prays, not just for a bit of social politeness, but he looks up at the heavens to his Father with whom he was 100% in unity and love and mutual submission, and then asks that these ordinary, run-of-the-mill human followers would be one — IN THE SAME WAY!!
RELATIONSHIPS AHEAD OF RIGHTS
That means when it comes to debating theological points or working through our view on the social issues of the day, or how we interpret some contested part of scripture, or our political take on the world — We love one another, we wash the feet, even of our opponents. We humbly place our relationships with our brothers and sisters as the highest of priorities.
Paul writing to believers in deeply stressful times urges them:
“… dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil 4:8
John writing several decades later to believers facing dark and divisive times says:
“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. … Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. … We love each other because he loved us first.” (1 John 4: 16-19 NLT)
IN ALL THINGS CHARITY
St Augustine, and many who came after, distilled this into a helpful maxim: “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.”
Let us prayerfully consider through this season in what ways we can live into this. This is our shining witness in a broken world.
