Sunday: I Have Given You an Example
Daily Lesson for Sunday 1st of December 2024
The farewell discourse (John 13:1-38; John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27; John 16:1-33; John 17:1-26) provides instruction for Jesus’ disciples concerning the future. Its literary pattern is similar to Moses’ farewell in Deuteronomy or Jacob’s blessing his children (Genesis 47:1-31; Genesis 48:1-22; Genesis 49:1-33) or David’s instructing Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:1-21; 1 Chronicles 29:1-30). Jesus consoles His disciples regarding His departure. He promises a surrogate to represent Him (the Holy Spirit; John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27; John 16:1-33). He predicts grief to come (John 15:1-27; John 16:1-33), and He exhorts the disciples to stay faithful (John 15:1-27).
Read John 13:1-20. What happened here, and why is this story so important? What lessons did Jesus seek to teach?
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
In that part of the world in Jesus’ day, people wore sandals or went barefoot. The feet would become dusty and dirty. It was a custom for a servant or slave to wash the feet of those coming to a meal. But no servant was present for this function on the night Jesus ate His last meal with His disciples before His arrest.
To everyone’s surprise, Jesus Himself arose from the supper and washed all of their feet. John 13:4-5 tells Jesus’ actions step by step. It is told in such detail to emphasize the Master’s doing this unbelievable act of humility.
By telling about Peter’s response, John 13:8-11 deepens the sense of dismay and incomprehension of the disciples at Jesus’ actions. How could Jesus, the Master, the Messiah, be doing such a lowly task? Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, only to be told by Jesus that if he did not cooperate, he would have no part with Jesus. Then Peter asked for more, expressing his desire to be connected with Jesus all the way.
The significance of Jesus’ action is tied to who He is. He states in John 13:13 that He is the Teacher and the Lord. That is what they called Him, and He indicates that it is so. These titles express authority and power.
Yet, Jesus teaches that power and authority are to be used for service, not for self-aggrandizement. The Adventist Church has embraced this sense of Jesus’ example, taking what is rightly called the Ordinance of Humility as a preparatory service for the Lord’s Supper.
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What does the Ordinance of Humility teach you about following in the footsteps of Jesus and how to humbly serve others? |
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Having recently seen the movie, "Bonhoeffer", at a theater with a friend and fellow Elder, we were both touched by the commitment that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to stand up for and defend the downcast and persecuted Jewish people. He tried to awaken and rally the German Church to resist the Nazi Party and their leader, Adolf Hitler. He knew that he was taking a risk in doing so, but felt compelled by the Gospel to serve those that were being persecuted for their faith. He believed that Jesus gave us an example to follow in rescuing the perishing. Has that call to service fallen on deaf ears of the modern day, Christian church members? I am reminded of a quote that captures the reason the Church exists.
A touching scene near the end of the movie shows Dietrich conducting a Communion service on the morning before his death, with his fellow prisoners. Before he went to the gallows he presented his cherished Bible to one of his guards whom he had developed a relationship with.
That we would have such a heart as Christ, and Dietrich to love even those that disagree with, and are persecuting us.
We are His heart! Is His Heart beating?
The call to "come and die" may or may not be a call to martyrdom, but it is certainly a call to die to self, and to live for Christ.
The episode as recorded in the book of John chapter 13 demonstrates profound examples of Love, Humility and Servant Leadership. in all of Scripture. This act of Jesus washing His disciples' feet not only demonstrates His immense love but also His willingness to humble Himself in a way that challenges human expectations of greatness. I want to share my thoughts on the aspect of humility.
Humility, as exemplified by Jesus washing His disciples' feet in John 13:1-38, holds transformative power in addressing some of the world's most critical issues. This virtue fosters selflessness, empathy, and cooperation, all of which are essential in resolving social, political, and personal challenges. What can humility not achieve in the world today? Humility is not weakness; it is strength under control. It enables individuals, leaders, and communities to transcend self-interest, confront critical challenges, and create a more just and harmonious world. “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5 – NLT). The whole world will be a better place to live in if every human being exercised a little measure of humility. A want to share two thoughts on the implications of humility in combating critical societal issues.
1.Promoting Peace and Reconciliation – Arrogance as opposed to humility has destroyed relationships, families, communities, societies and nations. Humility enables individuals and nations to prioritize mutual understanding over pride or the need to dominate. Many conflicts arise from a refusal to acknowledge mistakes, listen to others, or seek common ground. A humble approach:
i) Encourages dialogue and reconciliation by admitting faults and valuing others' perspectives.
ii) Reduces the ego-driven cycle of revenge, fostering forgiveness and coexistence.
iii) Provides a model for leaders to focus on serving their people rather than seeking power or prestige.
Example: Truth and reconciliation commissions, such as in South Africa post-apartheid, rely on humility from both victims and perpetrators to address historical injustices and build lasting peace.
- Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
- Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
- Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
2.Combating Inequality and Poverty - Humility compels people to recognize their privilege and empathize with those in need. It shifts the focus from self-interest to the well-being of others, inspiring actions to reduce disparities.
i) Encourages fair wealth distribution, philanthropic efforts, and sustainable development.
ii) Promotes servant leadership where policymakers prioritize the needs of marginalized communities.
iii) Inspires grassroots movements where individuals work collectively, setting aside personal gain.
Example: Humble leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa dedicated their lives to serving the poor, creating significant social change.
- Proverbs 19:17: "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed."
- Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
- Luke 14:13-14: "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you."
Humility as a virtue has an inherent power to address some of the world's critical challenges. By applying this virtue, individuals and communities can reflect Christ’s example of servant-hearted love and transformative leadership.
Humility is not weakness; it is strength under control . my spirit and soul is so liftedup by your today contribution as exemplified by the teaching of our Lord Jesus christ from the supper and washing all of their feet. John 13:4-5. This act exemplified by Jesus christ is what is required of Christian expecially in this last day when the human race is face with hunger,disaster, we are to show love in Humility like Jesus did.
When you get old and realise you do not have a lot of time left it is easy to fall into the trap of pontificating about what you have done and tried to do. I am classified by at least some people as old and possibly a bit decrepit, so I have to guard carefully lest I fall to the same temptation.
Jesus took the opportunity to demonstrate servant-leadership to his disciples. Of course the back-story was that the disciples had been jockeying for positions in the new kingdom. John and James, who had earned the nickname, "Sons of Thunder" even got their mother into the act, asking special favours for her two "deserving" sons. I must admit that my mind picture of that causes me a wry smile.
But Jesus took on the role of a humble servant and washed the disciples' feet. We commemorate that act today in the ordinance of humility. Sometimes, I get the idea that we are more concerned about the observation of the ordinance than the practice of humble service that it represents. I remember a time when my feet were quite flakey and I did not attend the ordinance of humility for fear that I would pass on some contagious disease to others. Some folk expressed that I was skipping out on my duty, so I tried to explain that they should be more concerned if I was missing out on service.
When Jesus said:
,,, he wasn't just talking about the ordinance; he was describing the Christian way of life.
You are a funny guy, Maurice! 😆
Truth be told, none of us know when the last grains of sand will run out of our hourglass. Some have a bigger hourglass than others.
I agree that Jesus wasn't instituting another ordinance by washing the Disciples feet. Rather He was trying to get them past their wrong concept of leadership. True leadership is servant leadership, and that is what Jesus was trying to convey. Yes, even washing dirty or "flakey" feet. 😉
A role reserved for a slave. The greatest in God's Kingdom is the Servant of them all.
"Day after day we must take up the basin and the towel" Michael Card
Well said Tim and Maurice! Just an example for us. I always wondered did all the people in AD 30 own a slave or have a servant to wash peoples feet? I think not. Just my opinion.
Well said
Why did Jesus get up in the middle of the meal, or even at the conclusion of the meal to wash feet? People in that time reclined at the table which was on or near to the floor. Depending upon their posture, their feet would practically be on the table in that position. The owner of the house that provided the room surely would have provided a servant to wash everyone's feet as they entered the room or as the table was being set. Remember, this is the triumphant Jesus who had entered Jerusalem as the potential king. So again, why did Jesus then move to wash everyone's feet at the moment he chose? Could it have been meant as a completely symbolic gesture and lesson?
My mind goes back to the days when our roads were unpaved and many people could not afford proper shoes. Some even came to church barefoot. Foot washing was so different from now.
From the other Gospels and even here in Johns' Gospel, this was not the Communion Service Supper. This was about "Two Days" before the "Passover." I fully believe that John was given the responsibility to record this event as the other three Gospel writers only recorded the "Bread and Wine" event "Two Days" after this event. For this very reason, I feel that Jesus wanted to instill "To the leadership" the necessity of "True Humility" to them as Leaders and mainly the 12 Apostles (apparently the other 70 desciples of His were not present to either the "Bread and Wine nor the Feet Washing event either,) because the 12 had been making a fuss about who would be "The Greatest" in Jesus' Coming Kingdom. So I truly believe that those in our Church as Leaders should celebrate this about a week to a month before they go on to celebrate the "Bread and Wine" with their entire congregation and then only the Bread and Wine for the rest of the membership of the Church. And also this should only be done no more than "Once a Year," as Jesus only did this "Once in His entire life here as a true Flesh and Blood Human," to go along with the "Once a year Passover and also Day of Atonement," and also to go along with His "Once For All," Sacrifice of Himself for all of Humanity!
To be honest, Pete, I don’t think the point of the last supper was about when and how we hold communion, but rather, about the condition of our heart. Humility is something that does not sit easily on most of us. If we seek out ways we can serve one another in grace and humility then the ceremonial becomes significant. If we genuinely get the heart bit right then it does not matter when or how often we celebrate.
Well now in my 50 plus years of my Seventh Day Adventist Journey, I have come across Seventh Day Adventists who say that they only feel cleansed from sin after they attend a Communion Service which means that they only feel cleansed from sin every three months. Yet, 1 John 1:9 says very clearly that "If we confess our sins He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and (Cleanse) us from all unrighteousness." This Promise is clear that all we have to do to feel "cleansed" from sin is to take our sins to God "Personally via Prayer." There is nothing in this Promise of God saying that we can only be or feel cleansed from sin after participating in a "Communion Church Service." But why do Church Members say what they say about feeling cleansed from sin only after participating in a "Church Communion Service?" It is because of what The Church Teaches and makes Church Pastors do every "Three Months" for the entire Church Membership etc. This was not what Jesus did nor did He intend for this to be done at all. Jesus celebrated His "Once For All," once in His Entire Life as a fully Human Being and only in the context of the "Once a Year Day of atonement and Passover Feasts" to signify His "Once for all Sacrifice for sin for all of Humanity."
Various Seventh-day Adventists say lots of things about Communion, but this is what Paul says:
Sounds as though we should repeat the activity but no specific frequency is specified.
He also has a lot to say about where our hearts should be when me take part in this remembrance.
Yes, but 1 John 1:9 is very clear, that "All we need to do is go personally to God with our sins" and not wait until or even make sure that we attend the "Church Communion Service" every three months to make sure that our sins have been forgiven either. "Once for all" was done 2,000- plus or minus years ago by Jesus Himself at Calvary. We do not need to have this celebration done three times a year to "Remember" or even "Show" Jesus death until He shows up soon and very soon! Once a year was plenty for the Day of Atonement, and Once a year is still plenty for us now. The Apostle Paul was not even present for this "Once in Jesus' own lifetime" with his 12 Apostles. Plus, Jesus did the feet washing about two days before He celebrated His Bread and Grape Juice Symbolism. The Leadership should Celbrate the feet washing about a week to a month before they then go on to then celbrate the Bread and Wine symbolism with the entire Church membership. It is only in Leadership status that issues of Humility occur that need to be addressed by the feet washing. That was why only John recorded this event for the Leadership, and the other three Gospel Writers recorded only the Bread and Wine Symbolism for the entire Church Membership etc. But again "Only Once a Year is enough" to remember Jesus Death and Soon Coming. Every single day with His Word and Promises will take care of remembering Jesus and what He has already done, is doing, and will soon return!
I agree with you that we do not need to wait until communion to have our sins forgiven. I am not sure where you got the idea that we did. As for the timing, the Bible is open on that. I think we lose its signficance if we have it too often. But how often is up to individuals and the church community.
I think given that Paul needed to correct the faulty practices of the Corinthians about the Lord's supper, it is unlikely the early church celebrated it once a year. In fact, they broke bread daily, though that may or may not include a communion service. Obviously the timing was not commanded and parallelling it to the Sacrificial System has limitations.
We have our theories about how often, but God has not seen fit to make that clear and I don't think it's productive to make doctrines out of disputable matters.
What gave Jesus His humility?
I love that John included a backstory to his firsthand account of this footwashing story in John 13:1-3:
Two things here.... (1) Jesus was solid in who he was. He knew where He came from (God), he knew where he was going (God), he knew that he had completed his earthly ministry (he loved his own to the end), and that he was about to make his final and biggest sacrifice of his own life (knew his hour was come). (2) There was a demonic presence at this feast, present in the heart of Judas. Satan would hurt Jesus at this very celebration meal. Jesus was about to be tempted with human feelings of being excluded, misunderstood, rejected, betrayed by a friend, abandoned by those around you.
I'd like to apply this to today. Imagine a family gathering. A big meal celebration with extended family and friends all around the table. The conversation is in full swing. The loudest ones are talking at each other more than with each other. They have all the answers. They know how every institution should be run, they know every answer to government, they pat and stroke each other when they agree and roll eyes and argue when they don't. Some at the table are on their phones or staring off. Some are having private one-on-one chats. One person is quietly serving plates, washing dishes, answering the door, pulling up more chairs to the table. When he or she asks to read a few verses of a psalm and say a blessing before the meal, there is a big upcry. "No! No! Let's just eat!" This person is tempted to feel lonely, misunderstood, rejected, betrayed (why doesn't anyone want to give thanks to God?), weary with the empty talking and proud posturing, with the heavy focus on food and wine and ruling the world, missing companionship of those who want to worship Jesus.
This is my fresh take on how Jesus might have felt.
The disciples were all focused on ruling, on jockeying for the most honorable positions in Jesus' earthly government (they thought would come at that moment). John may have been the only one who noticed in great detail as Jesus rose from the table, laid aside his regular clothes and put on the servant drying towel (like putting on the rubber gloves to do dishes), poured water in a basin, and began to wash each friend's feet (John 13:4-5). I'm imagining that they were still all boisterously talking and may not have even noticed it was Jesus who was doing this servant/serving role until Peter piped up. "Hey, Jesus is the only one washing all of our dishes. Shouldn't we be helping? Hey, Jesus is the only one washing all of our feet. Shouldn't we be washing His feet instead, our Lord and our Master?"
How did Jesus hold up? How did He remain humble? How did He not become resentful, bitter, angry, emotionally and spiritually tired? How did He have more and more of Himself to give?
Back to John 13:3, Jesus KNEW that He came from God and was going back to God. That is enough. He knew His standing with God. Couldn't be any tighter with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Job well done on Earth so far. Jesus received all He needed from His Father to be humble and remain humble.
And that is true for us too. We have to receive from God to be grounded to go through trying times with true humility (not begrudging humility). Jesus said to Peter, "Unless you let Me wash you, unless you receive humility from Me, you can't be humble yourself, you can't be a part of my Kingdom" (John 13:8). We need to be humble enough to take from Jesus, to receive His forgiveness, if we want to be part of His Kingdom.... in any capacity.
That is exactly where Judas hardened his heart. Judas wanted to push Jesus to do his own agenda, and the more Jesus humbled Himself, the more it annoyed Judas. The perfume poured out on his head and feet by Mary, the riding on a silly donkey with silly children shouting, the footwashing, Jesus showing that He knew Judas had already sold Him out during dinner but remaining kind and protective of his honor with the other disciples, Jesus submitting to the soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane....Judas became overwhelmed by the humility of Jesus. It was too much. He ran back to the Chief Priests and said "I have betrayed an innocent man!" (Matt. 27:4). But the innocence of Jesus only made his diamond-hard heart even harder (Zech. 7:12). Judas just couldn't receive forgiveness from Jesus so that he could be humbled too (Matt. 27:5).
Whereas Peter, Jesus humbled him too. Peter saw that his own heart could not be trusted. Peter said that he would never deny or forsake Jesus, and yet after the third time of swearing that he had never met Jesus, he heard the rooster and remembered Jesus' words. Like Judas, he realized "I have betrayed the most innocent, humble man who has ever lived!" But unlike Judas, he was broken on the Rock...he wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75) and went on after the Resurrection to run through the water to Jesus (John 21:7) and to lay his full heart and the knowing of his innermost self before Jesus (John 21:17..."Lord you alone know my heart"). Peter is the one who later writes passionately about the importance of humility in 1 Peter 5:1-7; 3:1-11. Peter is the one who received the dream about the unclean animals in the sheet symbolizing letting Gentiles into the church, and tells the Italian centurion Cornelius not to bow to him (Acts 10:25-26). Peter is the one who after healing a man points all the glory to God (Acts 3:12).
In conclusion, I am struck by how Jesus' humility transforms all of us. Transforms characters and relationships. We are either moved through the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus and be humbled ourselves and to grow in humility with others. Or not. Matt. 21:44.
How I wish,the whole world would emulate Jesus,what a nice place this would have been.
I pray for a humble heart ,always ready to serve rather than be served.
What does the Ordinance of Humility teach us about following Jesus and humbly serving others?
The question arises: What does it mean 'to be humble', and what inspires humility? Reflecting on Jesus’ example, as He washes His disciples feet, I see humility as His source of strength in that He washes all of His disciples' feet; including Judas'. He demonstrated love without favoritism or the exclusion of those who work against Him and persecute Him.
Through this humble act, He taught His disciples not to esteem oneself higher than the others, but to see each other as humbly working together as one brotherhood seeking to spread God’s Word to all the world and so establish His spiritual ‘kingdom’ here on earth. Jesus needed to show them that His followers ought to remain united in Spirit and Truth - treat each other with acceptance and kindness.
Is it possible for 'humility' to have two forms? For Christians, humility stems from recognizing all people as equal in God’s eyes; it motivates us to serve others as fellow brothers and sisters as we are in Christ. In contrast, a ‘form of humility’ - humility without acknowledging God -, may be rooted in pride or arrogance — the act of ‘giving’ to others whiles, at the same time, creating a dependency on the giver to elevate his status above that of the recipient; these two approaches are not the same. 2 Tim.3:5
A Christian views all people — saved or not — as equally valued by God. All need to be saved by Grace through Faith - Luke 15:7. Assessing or meeting others' needs only based on their lack of ‘material goods’ does not lead them to Christ. Only He shows the Way of Truth and Light able to quench their ‘hunger and thirst forever.
This mindset of considering it sufficient to ‘satisfy the body and mind’ without healing the broken heart, results in efforts which 'impose help’ through regulations or enforced measures leading to dependency on the giver. Every act of kindness needs to point to Jesus Christ who showed us true humility when serving others: seeing every person as the child of God to be loved and ministered to.
I think it will bless each one of us to learn how to gently and humbly nurture spiritual and emotional well-being when meeting the physical needs of others. Jesus Christ came to share His Father’s Glory with us. Having received His Holy Spirit as our Guide, as we engage His Love, Truth and Light, we humbly become 'invisible' as it is His Glory which is revealed in the acts of kindness. James 1:17; Eph.2:8-10.
Nowadays, a standard message is to do whatever suits the ego, while Jesus teaches the opposite, 'Do you want to be served? Serve others first.'
What does the Ordinance of Humility teach us about following Jesus and humbly serving others?
The question arises: What does it mean 'to be humble', and what inspires humility? Reflecting on Jesus’ example: as He washes His disciples feet, I see humility as His source of strength - He washes all of His disciples' feet; including Judas. He demonstrated love without favoritism, not excluding him who would betray Him; He knew in whose Spirit He served.
I consider that through this humble act, He taught His disciples to esteem each other as equal, and to humbly work together as one brotherhood of believers as they took the Gospel to all the world; accepting everyone who desires to live in God's Spiritual Kingdom. Jesus' disciples needed to learn that all believers are united in His Spirit and Truth as they treating each new believer with acceptance and kindness.
A Christian's view is that all people — saved or not — are equally valued by God - all are in need to be saved by Grace through Faith - Luke 15:7. Receiving only 'material goods' does not necessarily lead the recipient to meet Jesus Christ personally. It is needful to also hear that, should they decide to follow Jesus' Way of Truth and Light, this will lead them to have their ‘hunger and thirst' quenched forever - Rom.8:2.
"...Jesus teaches that power and authority are to be used for service, not for self-aggrandizement."
The above quotation is a contrast between Satan and God. The quotation reflects a key difference between Satan and God in Christian teachings. Satan is often associated with pride, self-exaltation, and the misuse of power for personal gain. In contrast, God, as revealed through Jesus, demonstrates humility, using power to serve others and showing love and compassion. While Satan represents selfish ambition and dominance, Jesus models a leadership rooted in service, sacrifice, and putting others first. This contrast highlights the moral divide between self-centeredness and selflessness in the use of power.