Conversation in Faith

Following the way of Jesus is hard. It almost always calls us to live in direct contradiction to the norms and goals of society. The Gospel of John gives us five chapters about what Jesus said at the Last Supper¹. To briefly summarize what Jesus talked about, love. Love that expresses itself in a variety of ways. The love of God for Jesus and the disciples and the world. The love of Jesus for the Father and the disciples and the world. The love that the disciples are to have for God, for Jesus, for each other, and for the world. And the Spirit, the Advocate, the Helper, who will guide the disciples in the way of love.

John’s gospel is where the story of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet is told. Foot washing was a common practice in the ancient world. It was an act of personal cleanliness and it was an act of hospitality. A good host made sure guests feet were washed. Guests either washed their own feet or the host had a servant wash the guest’s feet. When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he acted as both host and servant. In the hierarchical world they lived in, this was confusing. One was either a host or a servant- but not both. So Peter objected and Jesus explained. Discipleship is not about “greatness”. Discipleship is not the ability to order others to do humble tasks. Discipleship is not about power. Discipleship is about service. Discipleship is about caring for each other.

Sometimes we don’t notice that Jesus washed the feet and ate with the very people who would betray and desert him. Remember, Judas and Peter were not the only ones who betrayed and abandoned Jesus. And yet, knowing this, Jesus did not condemn them. Jesus did not send them away. Instead he continued to invite them to become the beloved community. He told them how to be disciples when the worst happened and then when the unimagined best happened.

Jesus continues to invite these flawed, fallible humans to be disciples. He continued to invite them to live the way of love.

Sometimes people point out that Jesus’ command to love “one another”, meant the disciples were to love each other, suggesting that Jesus’ command restricted their love to other believers. Some people suggest that Jesus did not mean disciples are to love non Christians. That, of course, runs counter to what Jesus taught. The disciples had a hard task before them. They had to figure out how to love each other even though they had deserted Jesus. They had to figure out how to love each other knowing the worst about each other, knowing their failure and fear. This is their witness to the world, this extraordinary love. Love that endures and heals. Love that embodies and embraces the way of Jesus.

This act of loving each other was an extraordinary sign to the rest of the world. Their love for each other, and for each person who joined them created a beloved community that people wanted to be part of. Because the disciples loved each other and loved Jesus, they were able to love the people they encountered just as Jesus loved them. Because the disciples loved, they were able to serve, each other and the people they encountered. Love and service became the signs of Christian community.

May we also love and serve, as signs of Jesus’ love for all.

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”  Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”  For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.  Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.  If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.  I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’  I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am he. Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”  The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.  One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.  So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”  Now no one knew why he said this to him.  Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor.  So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.  If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’  I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”  Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. John 13:1-38 NRSVue

1. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when Jesus enter Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday when Christians remember the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples before his arrest. Thursday night after the meal, Jesus and the disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus is arrested. On Friday he is tried, and crucified. On Sunday the tomb where Jesus was buried is empty and he appears to the women first and then the rest of the disciples. ↩︎