Following Jesus…
During the Maundy Thursday service on April 17, Pastor Kee preached on John 13:1-17, 31-35. His sermon was followed by a communion service in which participants had their hands washed before sitting at a table behind the pulpit. 12 people at a time filled the tables, giving the sense that we were actually participating in the Last Supper after Jesus had washed our feet.
Read Scripture
John 13:1-17, 31 35 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 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. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 31 When he [Judas] was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” NIV
The strange word “Maundy” comes from a Latin word meaning “Command.” Besides the institution of Holy Communion, this evening in the upper room also marked the reinforcement of the command God made in Deuteronomy 6:4 where God commanded the Israelites to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” But Jesus expands on this command. In Matthew 22:37, He added “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We are to love one another just as Jesus has loved us (see John 3:16).
Without any planning, a couple decided to get married. They quickly found a pastor who performed the ceremony at his church while recruiting members of his congregation to serve in the wedding party. After the ceremony, it occurred to the groom that he should pay the pastor something for his services, but he had no idea of how much. So, he asked the pastor, “How much should I pay you?” The pastor replied, “Pay whatever you feel your wife is worth to you.”
How much is God’s love worth to You???
Pastor Kee illustrated this love with a couple of stories. The people in both of these situations demonstrated that love values the other person. Love takes an active interest in the other person’s well being. God loves us, regardless of what we do or don’t do. We all have an incredible value to God.
There is a famous painting showing a man’s wrinkled and twisted hands, folded in prayer. Two friends pledged to put each other through art school. While the first friend studied, his friend went to work to pay for his education. The work was hard and took a lot of him.
When the man graduated, he was ready to return the favor by working to put his friend through art school. But the work had taken too much out of his friend; his hands had become so damaged that he could never paint, regardless of any training. The man painted a picture of his friend’s hands; folded in selfless love praying in total faith, but yet twisted and withered from years of hard work.
Curtis fell in love with Brenda, and asked her for a date. But Brenda had two kids and hesitated at accepting the offer. Shortly before the date, Brenda told Curtis that she couldn’t go with him. One of her children had severe disabilities, and the caretaker she had hired was sick. She could not leave her son.
But Curtis insisted. He wanted to spend time with Brenda AND the children. He took care of her son’s many and constant needs, and it was a courtship of a family and not simply of a couple. Curtis loved Brenda so much that he loved those whom Brenda loved. Eventually, Curtis and Brenda were married. The two became a family because of Curtis’ acts of selfless love.
Curtis was a man who had a lot going for him; fame and wealth. He was where he wanted to be by the world’s standards, and yet he opened himself up to love.
This is a true story, and you may have heard of “Curtis.” His name is Kurt Warner, who quarterbacked the St. Louis Rams to a Superbowl victory in 2000.
Selfless love gives up what could have been in order to take on the character of God; a God who loves each of us to a depth we could never imagine.
Someone once said that in this life we are given two erasers:
- One erases God’s blessings; we use this eraser and forget how much God loves us.
- But the other eraser frees us from bondage. If frees us from regrets or doubts of “what might have been.” Instead, this eraser removes the sin and other barriers that prevent us from uniting with our Creator and enjoying the true sense of value and joy that we were created to have.
Which eraser are you using???
If we ignore God’s offer of love, we erase His blessings in our lives. But if we want to change our priorities and erase the past, we can accept the selfless love of Jesus on the cross. God offers us an eraser that will give us the full measure of life. He calls us to love Him with all our hearts, and in this selfless love we will find ourselves.
