Sermon nuggets Thus Aug 21
Theme- Showing Love
Verse-John 13:6-11 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."
11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (NIV)
A Selfless Love
Christian love is unconditional and unwavering. Christ knew that in less than twenty-four hours He would be hanging on a cross, experiencing the wrath of God. The reason for this dreaded experience? Our sinfulness. He was about to experience the fury of God for our daily rebelliousness. Knowing this, He could have just withdrew all further actions of love from us and braced Himself for the worst experience known to mankind.
Instead, Jesus took a different approach. He chose to love us despite the circumstances. The verse tells us that He did just the opposite of what most of us would have done. When sinned against, He decided to show just how much He really loves men. He served them selflessly.
Only Peter objects. He ought to be washing Jesus feet, not having Jesus wash his feet. Jesus tells him that if he doesn't allow his feet to be washed then he can have no part of Him. Peter must receive before he learns to give. In characteristic style Peter then goes to the other extreme and thinks, if letting Him wash my feet is a sign of love then, "Jesus I want you to wash all of me not just my feet."
A selfless act is doing something for the other that is helpful or healing or kind without regard or recognized benefit to self. Some people are too proud to receive. Some people are too humble to receive. We are undeserving people for the grace of God, but we are blessed when we receive with thanksgiving. We are also humbled when we receive from people we think cannot afford to give us anything, or if we feel unworthy to receive it. But, people who would serve others must first of all learn the humility of knowing how to gratefully and gracefully receive it. The givers must first learn how to be takers.
Peter had a difficult time accepting Christ's ministry to Him because Peter was not yet ready to minister to the other disciples. It takes humility, love and grace to serve others, but it also takes humility, love and grace to allow others to serve us. A person has to be washed and cleansed by Jesus before he can become a part of Jesus before he can serve Jesus.
We must realize that Jesus is teaching Peter a lesson more than just receiving service. Jesus tells them that the full impact and implications will not dawn on them until later. When they became Christians and converted, I believe they understood the lesson of spiritual cleaning. We have already been cleansed by faith in Jesus and his work for us on the cross. We have been forgiven of our sins. That is symbolized by our baptism, or bath, so to speak. That has only to occur once. In fact, it can only occur once. Paul speaks of this in the letter to Titus when he says, "We are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord," Tit 3:5. That is the beginning of the Christian life. All but Judas, among the disciples, had already experienced it.
The Brazilian evangelist Luis Palau told several striking stories about hardened people who had lived their lives in sinful rebellion, and of his saying to them, "When you come to Jesus, in just a few minutes you can be an entirely new person." That is the glory of this good news, and that is what Jesus speaks of here. It is a bath to which we are all invited. That is regeneration, and it only occurs once.
But that does not mean that we still do not sin and have temptations and need to no longer be forgiven. We are clean, but we need some foot washing. There still needs to be confession of sin and commitment to righteousness. We still need to ask God to forgive our daily sins and attitudes that displease him. I John 1 says, If we say we are without sin we make God a liar, but if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We do not lose our salvation, praise the Lord. But we offend people and God with our dirty smelly feet.
Let Christ do some foot washing in your life today.
Pastor Dale
