Where is the love? John 13.1-17.
John #64
I watch people - people who are rabid with their support of President Trump; then I look about and see others who are equally as righteous in their support of Joe Biden. From the outside looking in - I think, Where is the Love? How do the twain meet? Ugh. They can't; they won't...still we look, we search thinking, Where is the Love?
Fact is, even the dude I met walking my dogs a few days ago mentioned how people immediately think of others as US or THEM. Yikes.
Yet, while Jesus knew the US and THEM, he loved. Jesus was/is our example. From John chapter 13, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded … he loved them to the end. (from v. 5 and v. 1)
It is Passover and the city of Jerusalem is full to overflowing with people … yet Jesus and his disciples have managed to find a room to share the sacred meal together. Little did the disciples know that this would be their last meal with the Lord before he was crucified.
As though you and I were one of them, let’s follow the disciples up the stairs that day to the Upper Room and consider what we might see as we come through the doorway: the table is low to the ground—at least, low by today’s standards in most areas of the world … there are no chairs, folks sit on the floor, their legs to the side usually—so they are quite near one another. Dirty feet would be anathema … do you see? Peter and John have made preparations for the meal and savory aromas abound as the rest of the men arrive.
Near the door is the basin and towel, as is customary, so that sandaled feet might be cleansed; (not a man would think of finding his seat at the table without cleansing his very dirty feet!) But wait … there is no slave to do the washing as the men look from one to the other. Only slaves wash other folks’ feet; why, it is forbidden even for disciples to wash the feet of their rabbis! Yet, there is no slave . . . there is no servant to carry out such a service.
And then Jesus . . . Jesus takes off his outer cloak, ties a towel around his waist, takes the basin, fills it with water and kneels down to take the first disciple’s dirty feet into his hands to cleanse. “But, Lord!” Too late. Jesus is about to give them the object lesson of their lifetimes, and ours too. Jesus, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, stoops to wash the dirt off his disciples’ feet.
Can you extend L.O.V.E.?
I pray so.
Christine
