The Full Extent of His Love (part 1)
John reports (John 13) “the time had come” for Jesus to go to the Father. In this case it was a period of about 50 days. For the last three years Jesus had loved His own…His own disciples, the Twelve; His own people, Israel; His own sheep, any who heard His voice and put their trust in Him. He had loved them by giving them the truth (exactly as the Father was speaking it), by doing every deed (exactly as the Father showed Him), by forgiving every sin brought to Him (exactly as the Father was instructing Him).
The next three days Jesus would demonstrate the full extent of His love.
He began by making His disciples extremely uncomfortable.
Despite His words about being among them as one who served, they could only see Him as Master, Rabbi, Teacher. Their relationship with Him had been about memorizing His words and obeying His instructions. Now, He begins to walk the hard path that scrambles all that.
He takes the lowest place they can imagine: the foot-washer, a rank no slave willingly took. Kneeling nose-to-toes with sweat, dust, manure and snot…unlatching the crusty, stained leather straps…lugging the stoneware basin of water…wearing the towel…touching the untouchable…here was the next lesson. Not words to be memorized, not works of power to be done, but true dirty work. “What are you doing??!!!” is the silent alarm…words no one says until Simon Peter’s turn. “Nope, nope, nope! Not washing my feet! Not serving me!”
Jesus’ response: If I do not serve you in this way, you do not belong to me.
Peter: Okay then! A whole bath! Gotta get this right!
Jesus: This is not about you getting it right. I have already made you right. You just need the day’s dust rinsed off. You need to let me be who I am for you.
Are these not the words our hearts need to hear every day? Is this not the place of everyday surrender? Jesus, be who You are in me, for me…Who do You want to be in me today?
Following Jesus every day in the everyday,
Christi
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The Full Extent of His Love (Part 2) – Dishwater Disciple · December 2, 2021 at 10:08 AM
[…] the room. No different type of treatment set any of them apart from the others. (The only recorded conversation was with Peter, but we’ve already discussed that). No exception was made for Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus knew, […]