It is the night of Jesus? betrayal and He sits in the
\nupper room with His disciples, partaking of the meal. He has not yet instituted
\nthe Lord?s Supper and will do as much in a short while, but first He must deal
\nwith some issues. One of which is how His disciples are to live after He?s
\ngone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It?s great how John has organized his information giving us
\na three point overview of this entire discussion in the first few verses. Jesus
\nloved those who were His own and loved them to the end (Jn 13:1)?a matter of
\nseparateness; The Devil has already placed in the heart of Judas Iscariot to
\nbetray Him (Jn 13:2)?a matter of hatred; lastly Jesus knows that He is going
\nback to God (Jn 13:3)?a matter of Christ?s going. So as Jesus begins this
\ndiscussion which will stretch from chapter 13 to s16, culminating in a prayer
\nin chapter 17 we can also be comforted and established.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe first thing Jesus does is to wash the disciples? feet.
\nHe removes His outer clothes and gets down on His knees, taking the form of a
\nservant and doing that which any one of these followers should have done long
\nbefore this part of the meal. Luke would tell us that soon they will even be bickering
\nabout who would be the greatest (Luke 22:24)
\nand here Jesus makes a point of what it means to be a servant no greater than
\nHim, the master (Jn 13:1516).\n<\/p>\n
\nJesus washed His disciples? feet to give them an example of
\ncleansing. But what does this mean? Is this an instituted ordinance of foot
\nwashing, like the bread and wine or baptism? Is this a mere watching each
\nother?s back to make sure your brother doesn?t stumble? Perhaps correcting and
\nexhorting with the Word?\n<\/p>\n
\n?I have given you an example that you also should do as I
\nhave done to you.? (Jn 13:15). What is it that Christ has done which is
\nsymbolized by the foot washing? Mind you, this foot washing is not the same as
\nthe initial cleansing of bathing all over (Jn 13:6-9), nor should it be
\nexpected from the one who hates Christ, although He may partake of the fruit of
\nfoot washing (Jn < 13:10, 11). This enacted
\nexample will be plainly restated by Christ after the betrayer has left (Jn 13:27-30). It is an example of sacrificial
\nlove.\n<\/p>\n
\nWhat is this sacrificial love? Is it dying for your
\nbrethren?\n<\/p>\n
\nThere in the warmth of the upper room where disciple leans on
\ndisciple listening to Jesus? words the Lord answers this problem of sacrificial
\nlove now that He?s to go away?but He must prepare them for the counterpoint of
\ntheir love. There was also tremendous hatred in that room and Jesus had to
\nexpose it. He had to point out that He had always known that this one would
\nbetray Him (Jn 13:19).\n<\/p>\n
\nJesus becomes greatly troubled and exposes the impending
\nbetrayel (Jn 13:21). The thought is
\nprovoked by the quoted words of the Psalmist (Ps. 41:9); that His good friend
\nwho He has trusted, the one who eats His bread has lifted up his heel against Him
\n(Jn 13:18).\n<\/p>\n
\nKnowing that he was a crook and a betrayer, the Lord presents
\na morsel to Judas?not only as a sign for others, but as a request and a middle-eastern
\npeace offering of love. ?You sit at my table, Judas. I offer you my bread,
\nJudas. We are friends. It is wrong to betray a friend who has fed you.? Judas
\ntakes it, gets up with the full intent to betray finalized in his mind, and
\nturns to leave.\n<\/p>\n
\nJesus? love towards the man knows no bounds and as He speaks
\nto the now Satan possessed Judas to take care of this matter quickly (Jn 13:27), His voice remains calm. He speaks in
\nthe same manner as ?Can you drop off the bills on your way out?? No one even noticed
\nthe significance of what transpired as this exposure of hatred resulted in the
\nperson of Satan in the very place where the Incarnate God lovingly taught His
\nown.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe lesson is one of holiness or separateness reflected in
\nsacrificial love for each other and holiness reflected in sacrificial love in
\nthe midst of tremendous hatred. As the door downstairs closes, the Lord exults
\nin what is to come. Betrayal, hatred, persecution and suffering await and He is
\nglorifying God.\n<\/p>\n
\nThis self-sacrifice is now reiterated, not so much with the
\nenacted parable but rather with the explicit words of the Lord. He closes this
\npart of the lesson by letting them know that He is going away but He is leaving
\na new commandment?that they are to love one another as He has loved them (Jn
\n13:34) for this example of love will prove their discipleship to Christ before
\nall men (Jn 13:35).\n<\/p>\n
\nThis self-sacrifice then is not merely physically dying for
\neach other but living for each other as well. It?s a bit harder to lay down your
\nlife if it means helping out even those abrasive Brillo Brethren who tend to
\nrub you the wrong way. I mean, sure any Christian would help out a Brother Paul
\nof Tarsus or a Brother Peter of Jerusalem,
\nor a Sister Phoebe of Rome; but
\nwhat about a loudmouthed Brother Rey of New York?
\nYou know, that rarely wrong, purely stubborn Brother?would you sacrifice your
\npride to wash his feet? Comfort him when he?s weak? Spend time with him when
\nhe?s down and out?\n<\/p>\n
\nOr what about in the midst of tremendous hatred; can you and
\nI love our enemies to the point of constantly giving of ourselves to show the
\nlove of Christ? Love Osama? Love Saddam? Love the bully in our yard? Sometimes
\nI wonder if we?re too quick to kick the sand off our sandals…\n<\/p>\n
\nSo let us realize the example of love that the Lord has left
\nus, who set aside the joy before Him (Heb 12:2) and not considering His
\nequality with God to be something to be grasped at (Phil 2:6), humbled Himself
\nand became a servant?obedient to the point of death (Phil 2:7-8). Demonstrating
\nHis love while we were yet repeat-offenders of sin (Rom 5:8) and enemies of
\nGod, this one left us an example that we are to do to each other, and in the
\nmidst of hatred, as unto the Lord.\n<\/p>\n