Welcome to Part 2 of John's gospel (ch.13-21). The first part (ch.1-12) focused on Jesus' messages and miracles to the crowds as he moved from place to place. This second part focuses on Jesus in Jerusalem. The first portion (ch.13-17), Jesus prepares his disciples to take over his mission after he is gone. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, he will send them. The events that follow (ch.18-20) also are set in Jerusalem. Only the conclusion (ch.21) is away from Jerusalem, back by the Sea of Galilee. Okay enough of the overview of part 2. Let's dive in.
I hate to cut chapter 13 in two because the threads of betrayal tie it together. But for sake of your time, we will look at the second half of the chapter tomorrow. Hopefully you'll forgive me. Speaking of forgiveness, you'll see forgiveness enacted by Jesus as you read John 13:1-20. Foot washing was a common practice in Bible times when people walked with sandals on dusty paths. It would have been very rude not to have your servant wash the dusty feet of your guest, or at least offer him some water to do so (see Luke 7:44). Jesus makes it clear that the person who has bathed doesn't need a whole bath again, just his feet washed. Paul powerfully brings this to light when he exposes the filthy past of many of us, ending with such cleansing, good news- "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" 1 Cor.6:9-11. So was Jesus instituting foot washing as a church practice or something to bring about world peace? I don't think so.
There are churches that occasionally will have a foot washing ceremony. I'm not saying the practice is outdated. I've led a few of those. But such occasions are so few and far between, involving so few people. I don't see how even those churches that do so can feel like they are really carrying out the practice of this passage. Do you really think if Jesus gives a command that we should feel good about obeying it if we do it only once in a blue moon? I think at the heart of what Jesus enacted is not about our feet, but about our hearts. Do I have the Lord's heart of love and forgiveness to wash off the dirt, the sins, of my brother's daily fallen walk with God and especially with me? Here's what Jesus said we should do when a brother sins against us- "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" Luke 17:4. Wow, that would be one rude dude to be so offensive in one day! But if he came back with his dirty feet, repenting, I am to wash his feet with forgiveness. Think how often each day the Lord washes our dirty feet. Our call is to be like Christ, to follow his example. Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" John 13:15. I think the example we are to follow is to wash off the dirt on others, to forgive those who wrong us or hurt our feelings. If we don't forgive from the heart, we are in deep weeds with God (Mt.18:21-35). On the other hand, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" John 13:17.
You and I are to forgive each other, "just as in Christ, God has forgiven you" Eph.4:32. But what if the person has not come back to say, "I'm sorry, I repent. Would you please forgive me?" Some think they don't have to forgive until then. But that keeps such Christians full of bitterness and unforgiveness. Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" Mt.6:12. The word forgive has the idea of "sending away." If you don't send back the unwanted item, it stays with you. So get rid of it! Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself- the gift of freedom and peace within. It doesn't mean that an unsafe and unrepentant person needs to be invited over to eat. But forgiveness does mean that you begin with a heart of forgiveness, regardless of their response. If the person is dead or can't be located, forgive them too. Give yourself that gift. If you are having a really hard time forgiving someone, that's what we're here for. There's help and healing when we confess our struggles and sins and get prayer support- "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:16.
1.- Read John 13:1-20. Is there anyone you need to forgive? Wash their dirty feet with God's forgiveness, which he has poured out so abundantly upon you. Without mentioning his or her name, write a brief prayer of forgiveness. It could be as simple as this- "Because Jesus has forgiven me so much, I choose to forgive X of his/her wrongs against me." If you're good with everyone now, perhaps you could write a prayer of celebration of how God helped you forgive someone who had wronged you in the past or of his great forgiveness of you.
If the enemy keeps bringing the offence to mind, keep bringing what Jesus has done for you to mind. Replace hard thoughts with forgiving thoughts. Bless those that curse you.
2.- Contact one or more of your wingmen and pray for them, especially if they need prayer regarding forgiving a person. Also find out how they are doing on their GREAT SMART goal they set Monday.
One of my goals is to daily read God's word to my wife. I almost forgot yesterday. I remembered late last night, so I went up from my basement office to read to her in bed. Thankfully, she was still awake and appreciative ;)
Remember I said, that this upper room discourse (ch.13-17) is Jesus' final training of his squad of manly men take over the mission upon his soon departure. For a team to succeed, it has to work well together. Yet we know that when people work together, there will inevitably be offenses and hurt feelings. Thus, Jesus didn't waste his time simply washing their feet. He was illustrating in an unforgettable way the great importance of forgiving, of cleansing the dirty feet of others. He certainly does that with us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9.
3.- I commit to you, to forgive you, to wash away whatever sins you may commit against me. We will work through such. Will you do the same for me and for your teammates?
We are not quitters, we are conquerors!
