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Peter & John — Acts 2:14-41

04 Dec

Acts 2:14-41 NIV
[14] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. [15] These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! [16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: [17] “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. [19] I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [20] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. [21] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ [22] “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. [23] This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [24] But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. [25] David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [26] Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, [27] because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. [28] You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ [29] “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. [30] But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. [31] Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. [32] God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. [33] Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. [34] For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand [35] until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘ [36] “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” [37] When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” [38] Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” [40] With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” [41] Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Dear God, I wonder what it would be like to take this sermon, outline it, and then preach a version of it today. It starts with establishing Jesus’ authority, backing it up with prophecy, pointing out their guilt in rejecting Him, and then offering grace through repentance.

It’s pretty simple really. I don’t know how much of it Peter planned out and how much was just the Holy Spirit overcoming him. It’s hard to imagine he had those passages from Joel and Psalms memorized. And maybe he paraphrased and Luke filled in with the actual text later. Either way, this was obviously and inspired moment and 3,000 people were converted.

When I am asked to preach I spend a lot of time in prayer while I prepare, but before I go up, my prayer shifts to simply asking the Holy Spirit to flow through me so that people will be able to hear my delivery. One thing I don’t do enough, I suppose, is praying for the hearts of those who are about to hear me. I can still be so self-centered that I care more about what I’m saying than the filters each person brings to the table when they are receiving what I have to say.

Father, move me one step closer to selflessness. Thank you for Peter’s message that morning 2,000 years ago. Thank you for its truth and power. Thank you for the life, death, resurrection, and reign of Jesus. I accept. I repent. I worship you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 4, 2018 in Acts, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Acts 1:16-26

03 Dec

Acts 1:15-26 NIV
[15] In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) [16] and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. [17] He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” [18] (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. [19] Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) [20] “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’ [21] Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, [22] beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” [23] So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. [24] Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen [25] to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” [26] Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Dear God, though it’s never mentioned, I think Peter and the apostles make a mistake here. I think they were trying too hard. I’ve mentioned this in reference to this passage before. It’s interesting to note that Matthias is never mentioned again the the Bible outside of these verses.

I think that Peter was trying too hard and trying to take upon himself the responsibility of fulfilling prophecy. Better said, he was looking to prophecy as his guide. And in the case of David’s 109th Psalm, I question how much of that was prophecy anyway. And it’s important to note that no one is recorded as disagreeing with him. John and everyone else followed his lead.

Peter did a lot of things right, but he did them when he wasn’t really trying. He healed people. He broke the ground on eating unclean food. But in the confusion of this time—in the fog of war—he tried to rush your timing. There is no way he could have foreseen what would end up happening with Paul’s conversion and subsequent apostleship. But I think this is a lesson for all of us that if we are faithful about your work then you will bring us what and who we need.

Father, I am in the midst of the time of year when we need donations at our clinic. It’s fundraising season. And I confess to you that I get fearful and my temptation is to try to force things. Help me to have the faith I need to watch your plan unfold over time. Help me to live not in denial, but in your peace. And work through me so that others might see you in everything I do and be drawn to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2018 in Acts, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 21:18-24

30 Nov

John 21:18-24 NIV
[18] Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” [19] Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” [20] Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) [21] When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” [22] Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” [23] Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” [24] This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Dear God, I read something interesting yesterday by Eugene Peterson in his book Run With The Horses: The Quest For Life At Its Best:

Scripture, however, doesn’t play that game. Something very different takes place in the life of faith: each person discovers all the elements of a unique and original adventure. We are prevented from following in another’s footsteps and are called to an incomparable association with Christ. The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original.

This passage calls this to mind. We want to compare ourselves with others to see how we measure up. If we perceive they are living worse than us then we feel better about ourselves. If we think their lives are better than ours then we feel worse. The common denominator is that it’s about us and our expectations for how good our lives should be.

What I think Jesus is trying to teach Peter, John, and even us today through this conversation is that we need to stop trying to use the lives of others to benchmark our own. Sure, we can use others as inspiration and encouragement, but our eyes need to be on the path you have for us and the race you have for us to walk. Oh, how I hope I’m getting mine right in your eyes and accomplishing what you need to accomplish through me.

Father, thank you for the comfort that you do give me. Thank you for your love. Help me to be at peace with my life and to make my decisions based on your still small voice and counsel through the Holy Spirit. I have some decisions to make even today—some big ones. Help me to be wise.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 21:12-17

29 Nov

John 21:12-17 NASB
[12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. [14] This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. [15] So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” [16] He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” [17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Dear God, the thing that we lose when reading something versus hearing it is tone of voice. The thing we lose by not seeing it is body language. I feel like these passages have suffered from that loss. I’d love to hear Jesus’ and Peter’s voices during this exchange. I’d love to see Jesus’ facial expressions and body language. I wonder what John saw and heard in that moment.

I heard a long time ago something I’ve never verified for myself. Someone once told me that Jesus keeps asking Peter if he “agape” loves Him and Peter answer that he “phileo” loves Jesus. I suppose I should look that up one day. It’s never really made sense to me that in that moment Peter wouldn’t come back to Jesus with the same type of love he was requesting.

Either way, by the end of this conversation it seems that Peter is not only restored from the denying three times story, but he is completely set up to lead the new church. Basically, he has his head back on straight again. Grace has freed him.

I heard about a friend yesterday who made a mistake and I have a feeling they are walking around with a lot of guilt. Now I can see that friend acting out and in a funk, and I have a feeling that what is truly needed right now is freedom from that mistake and others that this friend has made.

Father, my wife and I are doing something today to support. Friend that puts us out of our comfort zone. Please help us to do it well. Help us to be ministers of your grace and peace. Give us wisdom and discernment at any given moment, and even be with us while we drive alone. Strengthen us through each other. Let your Holy Spirit be in the car with us and counsel us so that we might really do the right things by the people around us.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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John 21:1-11

28 Nov

John 21:1-11 NASB
[1] After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. [4] But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” [6] And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. [9] So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” [11] Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Dear God, it’s hard sometimes to read these stories with new, fresh eyes when they are stories I’ve read so many times before and about which I’ve already had some strong opinions. In this case, this is a great Peter story that gives us a pretty good looking into his emotional state and his impulsiveness.

I love the simple line, “I’m going fishing.” Back to the roots. I wonder how long it had been since he had been fishing. I wonder whose boat they used. They were back at the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps they used John’s and James’ dad’s boats. Maybe they fished on and off again over the years. There’s so much we don’t know. But we do know that These five guys were together and Peter finally decided to go and fish and maybe even make a little money. The other four followed him.

Then, to add insult to injury, they didn’t catch anything. Peter’s sense of being lost and depressed after having denied Jesus is now being piled upon with fruitless work. And then Jesus shows up.

I guess I am seeing something new here. It’s from Jesus. If I were mapping this out, I would think that Jesus came back from the dead and then had a strategy session with the disciples before he ascended. His seemingly infrequent appearances are interesting and now what I would expect. I guess he was teaching them some lessons about independent thinking and getting along without himself. I’m sure their conversations while he wasn’t around were full of “What do we do next?” questions.

Father, I guess that’s how you still work with us today. In a lot of ways, we are left to struggle through and depend upon our own intelligence, intuition and experience to solve problems or make choices, all the while seeking your wisdom and discernment. I know that’s how I feel right now. We are doing strategic planning at work and we are working hard to discern your will while trying to layer our collective contributions we bring to the table. My wife and I are doing the same thing with some challenges we are facing. I have to say, It’d be nice if you’d just hire a sky writer and tell us what to do, but this is also a good process. So thank you for the struggle. Thank you for your love. Please speak to all of us as we wrestle through these challenges.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 28, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 20:1-10

26 Nov

John 20:1-10 NASB
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” [3] So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. [4] The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; [5] and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. [6] And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, [7] and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. [9] For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. [10] So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Dear God, several years ago I noticed something interesting about this story. In fact, this is one of the reasons I wanted to compare and contrast John and Peter. John outruns Peter there (what does it say about his state of mind that he would either intentionally or unintentionally outrun Peter), but then he cautiously stops and doesn’t go in, but only looks at a distance.

On the other hand, Peter isn’t as fast as John, but he’s certainly more bold. He gets there last, but goes straight in. John then follows Peter.

As I sit here and think about it this morning, this is the first activity of the new Christian church’s leadership post-resurrection, and in it I think Peter shows why his personality allows him to be the leader. He is, indeed, courageous. He is also a little less cautious, which can be a problem. In the case of how things will play out, I think John will need that part of Peter’s personality to move him out of his comfort zone, but Peter will need people like John to help him see the big picture before acting.

Father, help me to be the person you want me to be to accomplish what you have for our group to accomplish. It’s board meeting week. I bring a certain set of weaknesses and strengths to the table as does everyone else. As we talk and discuss everything before us, my prayer is that we will be able to accept the work and input of the others that you need us to have so that we can be as effective in our work as possible. And of course, do it all for your glory and not ours.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 18:17-18,25-27

24 Nov

John 18:17-18,25-27 NASB
[17] Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” [18] Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. [25] Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” [26] One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” [27] Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Dear God, John chooses to tell this story much more mercifully and matter-of-factly than the others. He leaves out Peter’s shame, although later, along the water after the resurrection, he will capture the restoration.

The thing I notice about John throughout this book is that he seems to empathize with people. He has mercy for them. I concluded several year ago that he has mercy and sympathy for Pilate. In this case, he was as scared as Peter was and would probably have denied Jesus too if anyone had bothered to ask him. He feels for Peter.

How is my mercy level for other people? I hope it’s at least getting better. The hardest part is when they have offended me. How do I look beyond my own feelings and ego and try to see where that person might be coming from and then extend grace to them while also seeing if I can help them?

As I sit here, I can think of countless times I have not done this well—especially with family. It’s frustrating. And the times I have done it right, my eyes have seen no benefit from it. It seems like the other person often takes advantage of my mercy and tries to use it as an opportunity to abuse me more.

Father, thank you for John’s example of mercy and discretion. Thank you that he was able to look at the failings of others and at least appreciate where they were coming from. Give me that ability today. I have certain situations in my heart. Please give me peace and wisdom to deal with them beyond my natural capabilities.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 18:7-11

22 Nov

John 18:7-11
7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you that I AM he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”
10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”

Dear God, it’s interesting to see what John decides to tell us and what he leaves out. He tells us about Peter cutting off the ear, but he doesn’t tell us that Jesus healed the ear or why Peter had a sword in the first place (Luke 22:36-37). He also leaves out something else important. He doesn’t tell the part about Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives and the disciples praying with Him falling asleep. Hmmm. I wonder if he carried that shame the rest of his life.

But back to Peter. I already mentioned this in a previous journal, but I think it is significant to note that Peter was, indeed, ready to defend Jesus, follow Jesus, battle for Jesus, and die for Jesus. That’s just not how Jesus needed this to work out. This is evidenced by what John tells us in verse 8 with Jesus saying, “”And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” I don’t remember Matthew, Mark, or Luke giving us that detail. At some point, I am going to do a side-by-side comparison of every story the four Gospels give us so that I can get a better look at exactly what John wanted us to know that was unique to the other three.

I was watching a documentary on Bill Murray the other day, and a guy talked about a Taoist Proverb that has a principle I’ve clung to the last few years as things have and haven’t gone the way I wanted them to. To paraphrase quickly, it seems there was a man who had a prized horse:

  • One day the horse ran away and his neighbor came over and told him it was such a shame that this bad thing had happened. The man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the horse came back, but he brought with him 10 prized wild horses. The neighbor came and rejoiced with him remarking that it was such a great thing. The man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the man’s son was trying to train one of the horses and broke his leg. The neighbor expressed sympathy for such a terrible thing happening, but the man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the army came to conscript able-bodied men to go to war. The son was left behind because of his broken leg, and the neighbor rejoiced with the man, but the man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”

And so the story goes on and on. Peter felt like a failure that night. John felt like a failure too. And they did, indeed, fail. Judas Iscariot failed that week as well. But in all of it, your plan prevailed. You didn’t need them to fail, but you allowed for their failure. They didn’t understand that Jesus’ death was good and fighting to save Jesus by cutting off an ear was bad. But looking back and telling the story years later, John was able to see a little more clearly and understand what you were up to.

Father, I am truly sorry for my failings. I really am. But on this Thanksgiving Day, I want to thank you for working around all of my faults and flaws to not only love me, but to do you will on earth through me. Maybe things could be done better if I was better, but I am able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that you are my God, you love me, and you forgive me. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 13:36-38

20 Nov

John 13:36-38 NASB
[36] Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” [37] Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” [38] Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

Dear God, ah, the most famous foolishly hubristic line spoken in history—Peter’s claim that he will follow Jesus to death, only to receive the prophecy from Jesus that Peter will, in fact, deny him to save his own life.

As I noticed back in one of the previous tellings of this story, Peter was, indeed, ready to follow Jesus to death. He took a sword and cut off a man’s ear. What we wasn’t prepared for was a death that required his surrender. He was willing to accept death in glory, but he wasn’t thinking about surrendering to death in humiliation.

My own paradigms can really get me into trouble. I am meeting with some board members this morning and we are talking about the programs our nonprofit offers the public. How much will my own expectations, preconceived notions and paradigms drive my opinions? That’s just one example. There are others like my children and the attitude I have about their life choices. My marriage and what I think my role is as a husband. My parents and father-in-law and what my role is as a son. I know I let my own values and ideas get in the way of what you want me to do sometimes. I’m sorry for that.

Father, help me to be flexible. Help me to be quiet and listen for your still small voice. Open my eyes and ears so that I might see and hear what you are showing and telling me. And help me to decrease so that you might increase. All glory and honor to you, oh Lord.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 13:1-17

18 Nov

John 13:1-17
1Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Dear God, I think I’m correct in stating that John is the only one who gives us the foot washing story at the Last Supper. What a remarkable thing for him to remember and convey. First, he is the narrator so he gets to add his own editorial to the story. Here’s what John wants us to know:

  • Jesus is aware of what’s about to happen to Him the next day (verse 1)
  • Jesus loved His disciples and was ready to show them how much He loved them (verse 1)
  • Jesus was self-aware enough to understand His own power (verse 3)
  • All of this prompted Him to express His love to the disciples by washing their feet (verse 4)

Then John gets to describe the scene. Everyone at the table seems to willingly accept Jesus washing their feet until He comes to Peter. I’m sure the others felt the same awkwardness that Peter felt, but it was Peter who had the courage to put words to it. Peter’s problem was that he didn’t quite understand what servant leadership looked like. Jesus was teaching a lesson.

Back when I was in my early twenties, I was the leader on a church retreat for a church out of Houston. There was a rough group of about three or four kids who went on the retreat that had mainly middle class kids. They were hard to handle. At one point, we decided to blow their minds by washing everyone’s feet, including theirs. I think it was a good idea, although we didn’t execute it very well. Or maybe we did. We kind of did it out of the blue like Jesus does here. The kids were confused, and I’m frankly not sure it did anything to change their behavior or their receptiveness of your message during the week. But as I think about it now, their reaction was pretty similar to Peter’s, but not because they had so much respect for us that they couldn’t receive our service. I think, for them, it felt more like a way we were trying to humiliate them.

As I further unpack this, I went on a retreat a couple of years ago where the leaders wash the feet of the participants. But are we getting it wrong with doing this? Or maybe not wrong, but are we accomplishing something different than Jesus was accomplishing. The premise within which Jesus was working was that He was their obvious superior. He was their rabbi. He was the Messiah. He was God. And He was now washing their feet. He was loving them. If I am with a group and decide that it is time to wash their feet, what I am communicating to them? Especially if there is no previous relationship. Am I subconsciously setting myself up as their leader?

Father, I don’t know that I resolved anything today or if I might have even gotten some of this wrong this morning. But I do think this has made me think about this story a little more. I have probably treated it a little too casually in the past and possibly done more harm than good in times like that summer at camp over 25 years ago. If I did—if I hurt those boys in any way, I am sorry. As I try to figure out the real lesson of this story—that I am to love others through serving them—help me to do it in a way that is truly sacrificial and not in a way that passive aggressively lift me up over them.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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