Sermon nuggets Weds Aug 20
Theme- Showing Love
Verse- John 13:4-5…so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
A Serving Love
When you love someone it is a pleasure to serve them. This is also maturity. There are those who serve for money, serve for prestige and pride, there are those who serve in order to get something in return. The love demonstrated by Jesus is taking even the most menial of tasks and getting on his hands and knees and washing the disciple’s feet.
In the custom of the day it was the job of a slave to wash feet. There was no slave there to do the task while the disciples and Jesus were celebrating the Passover.
You might remember that in Luke’s Gospel there was a discussion among the disciples as to who was the greatest. It would have been beneath their pride for any one of them to do the task of a servant. But it wasn't beneath their Master. He knew who He was, and the job of a slave had no change in his character..
For a fisherman to wash the feet of another fisherman is a relatively small sacrifice of dignity- but that Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior, the Son of God would stoop and wash the feet of lowly men that is the greatest kind of humiliation. That is the nature of genuine love, and humility.
Jesus begins serving. He takes the form of a servant by picking up water and towel. It makes no difference to him that he is the master. Masters are not suppose to serve. What would people think? But Jesus continues to serve us and our needs daily.
Do we really know what Jesus has done for us? If we know we will reveal our knowledge by our delight and desire to do it for others? We will want to love as we have been loved. We will accept as we have been accepted. We will treat others as we have been treated by Christ, and we
will humbly serve as we know and understand that we have been served.
Notice also Christ's love was not limited in reception to believers only. Judas, whom Jesus knows will betray him, has his feet washed also. Judas who is filled with the devil experiences a kind act of service by Christ. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be sons of your Father in Heaven." He said.
Jesus gives by his example a love for everyone. He didn't care if Judas didn't deserve it. Love them anyway.
He commands the same of us. We are to love through serving. We can no longer view life as a give and take relationship. You give me what I want and I'll take it! Now with the love that comes of Christ we give, without expecting to receive. We serve without expecting to be served.
That might move me to rake the yard waste from our neighbor's yard since we're already out raking our own. Love might motivate one to volunteer to babysit a couple's children for an evening so that they can retain their sanity. Love for Christ moves some to serve meals to the homeless during a holiday, or build a home for a homeless family in Mexico. What is it God might lay on your heart toward another that needs service?
It was the Christians who serviced our needs in the most menial of tasks. The Salvation Army gave among the ghetto. The delinquent homes, jail ministry, YMCA , Urban missions, Union Gospel missions, orphanages, nursing homes, hospital, anti-slavery concerns were initiated by followers of Jesus because He was their Lord and Master. It is an offense to God to see how so much of the religion community is changed its emphasis to serve itself instead of others. May God give us the serving attitude.
It is inspiring to hear of the work by Kim Hansen giving he witness through service in Sudan, or Judd Johnsons working with Samaritan’s purse in Ecuador, or the teens serving in Urban Minneapolis, or the witness and attention to Native Americans on the Lake of the Woods. Service in love is our hope this weekend as we give away goods to our community.
May the love of Jesus shine through us.
Pastor Dale
