Plot twist! Don't blink or you'll miss it.

 

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.  --Psalm 41:9

Some people are naive.

We may love them for always seeing the best in people, for trusting people to a fault. But we laugh at them when their naivete allows them to be pranked.  The group may know something that our poor clueless friend does not know, and the sweet, innocent soul can be led into a situation that is both funny and tragic.

The same thing happens the first time a person sees a popular movie or reads a best-selling book.  Everyone knows what is going to happen, because they've seen the end.  When the first-time reader is shocked at how the plot twists or how the story takes an unexpected turn, those of us familiar with the story may ask, "How did you not see that coming?"

I think a lot of people who have read the Gospels all their lives, and know how the story ends, look at the story of Judas and ask, "How did the disciples not know?  Didn't they see the clues?  It was right there in front of them!"

But when things are happening in real time, we don't always know what's going on until we look back and reflect on it awhile.  Crash victims will often hear the question, "Didn't you see the oncoming car?"  The answer is always, "It happened so fast."

Keep this in mind when we read our Bible text today from John 13.  The disciples are listening to Jesus speak to them.

"I do not speak concerning all of you.  I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'  Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.  Most assuredly I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sends Me."  When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.  Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.  Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.  Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"  Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it."  And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.  Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."  But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.  For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.  Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately.  And it was night.  --John 13:18-30

At this point in the story, all 12 disciples had been with Jesus for about three years.  They had traveled together, eaten together, and heard Jesus's teachings together.  They had heard Jesus preach to the crowds, they had seen Him being accused by the Pharisees and leaders of the synagogues, but they had also received private instruction and training in the Scriptures, hearing things that Jesus said only to them.  They had been sent out in teams of two to preach and perform miracles in multiple places (see Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-2).  They had come back together amazed at how God had worked through each of them.  And now, in this intimate setting of sharing a meal together, Jesus had washed their feet.

They thought that they knew each other pretty well by this point.

So when they heard Jesus talking about knowing whom He had chosen, they were taking notes.  They probably even thought, "Hey, He's talking about us."  They were listening intently but missing the point.  It was only after the Resurrection that they looked back at this moment and thought, "Oh, I see!"

Jesus told them that the Scriptures (the Old Testament) had foretold of a betrayal, and He quoted Psalm 41:9 to them.  He followed up by telling them, "I'm telling you this now so when it happens, you'll understand."  I can imagine most of them nodding their heads in agreement and not having a clue what He meant.  We know they were all taking notes, because Jesus's next words are recorded in all four Gospels.  "He who receives you receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me."  Commentator David Guzik writes, "Jesus reminded all His disciples -- the faithful ones and Judas -- that His work was not finished. Judas would not win; the work of Jesus would continue and they would be sent as His representatives. He also wanted Judas to know that rejecting Him meant rejecting the God who sent Jesus."

At this point it is probably a good idea to pause and review what's happening here, especially in the positioning and posture of Jesus and the disciples.  At the time, formal meals (weddings and feasts) were served at a table with people sitting in chairs, much like we do today.  However, in more intimate meals, the table was low, and the diners would recline on pillows or cushions.  They would prop themselves up on the left elbow and use their right hands to reach for the food and feed themselves.  They would lie on their bellies, more on the left side, so that they could see and converse with those around the table.

It is also worth noting that John was reclining to Jesus's right.  This brings to mind the time when John and his brother James came to Jesus, at the urging of their mother, to ask Jesus if they could sit at His right and His left when He comes into His kingdom in Mark 10.  Here John is seen reclining to Jesus's right side, with Judas reclining at His left.  Keep this picture in your mind's eye as we read the next passage.

Jesus becomes troubled in His spirit and tells the group flat out that one of them will betray Him.  No hiding it in flowery or prophetic language.  He would be betrayed, not by the world or by someone outside the group, but by one of the chosen reclining at table with Him.  Matthew and Luke both say that the disciples broke into chatter, all asking the same introspective question: "It is I?"

Wherever Peter was positioned at the table, he gets John's attention, as John was the one closest to Jesus.  He motions for John to ask Jesus who He was talking about.  Remember that John is leaning on his left arm, so it would be awkward for him to turn his head to the left.  It is also worth remembering that John was likely still a teenager, maybe only 18 or 19--not the most mature one at the table that night.

So instead of rolling onto his stomach and turning his head to address Jesus directly, he feels close enough to Jesus to roll onto His back, placing his head on Jesus's chest.  Looking up into Jesus's face (which would be upside-down in his present view) he asks, "Lord, who is it?"

John speaks of himself in the third person.  He doesn't say "I" or "me" but calls himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved."  He must have felt a special closeness and intimacy with Jesus that the other, more mature and austere disciples, did not necessarily feel.  Oh, that we today would feel that same closeness and intimacy with Jesus.  We should feel so comfortable with Jesus that we can lay our head on His breast and ask Him our most pressing question.

The other disciples are still talking amongst themselves, because none of them seem to hear Jesus's answer.  Jesus tells John how He will show who the betrayer is.  Jesus picks up a piece of bread, dips it in a dressing or sauce, and hands it to Judas on His left.  This would have required Jesus to roll onto His belly so that He could look at Judas directly.  When this happened, the disciples became quiet.  They saw Him give the bread dipped in sauce or dressing to Judas.

Bible scholar NT Wright says this:

Dipping a piece of bread in the dish and passing it to someone was a sign of special friendship.  This was the sign Jesus employed to tell the beloved disciple not only that it was Judas who was going to do the awful deed, but what the deepest dimension of that deed would be.  It was a betrayal of intimate, close trust and friendship.  John had already told us that the devil had put the idea into Judas' mind to betray Jesus.  Now he tells us that when Jesus gave Judas the bread, 'the satan' entered into him.

Dipping the bread and passing it to someone was an honor.  Think of it as a toast in today's culture. When Jesus said to Judas, "Go, hurry, do what you need to do," the disciples immediately thought of Judas as the group's treasurer.  They all thought that Jesus was telling Judas to go settle accounts with the owner of the house who had allowed them to all come and eat there.  Another possibility in their minds was that Jesus was telling Judas to go and make a charitable contribution, as giving alms was customary in that culture.

Here's where being in the moment when things were moving so fast blurred the truth from the disciples.  Peter wanted to know who Jesus was talking about with this betrayal business.  He motioned to John to ask Jesus directly.  When John asks Jesus, Jesus says it would be the one that He shows honor to.  Jesus then toasts Judas and tells him to go do it quickly.  Don't you think that if Peter realized that Judas was the betrayer, he would have stopped Judas?  Instead, they all assumed that Jesus had told Judas to go make a payment or a contribution.

John says that Satan entered Judas.  Again from NT Wright:

John does not, I think, mean that Judas became 'demon-possessed' in the same way as those unfortunate characters we meet from time to time in the other gospels.  The word 'satan' in Hebrew means 'accuser'; it's a legal term for someone who brings a prosecution, a charge, against someone else.  What we are now to witness is Judas being used by the forces of darkness to bring a charge against Jesus, the messenger of the light.  The confrontation between light and darkness, which has been hanging over the gospel story since the Prologue (John 1:5), is coming to its climax.  And Judas has been willing to enlist among the forces of darkness.  The end of verse 30 (and it was night) is one of John's master-touches as a storyteller.  The door opens on to the dark night, in every sense and at every level, and Judas disappears into it.

Darkness versus light.  The accuser versus the Redeemer.  Evil versus good.

Which will you choose? 

Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God

 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  --Philippians 2:5-8

Once upon a time in a secluded monastery tucked away in the mountains, two elder monks were discussing humility.  One of them says, "You know, I have been praying and fasting and studying Scripture for over 20 years.  I have finally reached the level of humility.  I am truly a nothing."  The other monk nods and says gravely, "I, too, have spent my life in service and devotion to God.  I am also a nothing."  Just then a young janitor approaches, mop in hand.  Feeling quite spiritual, he says to the two elder monks, "You know what, I am also a nothing."  The older monks watch him walk away and start mopping the hallway, then one says to the other, "Who the heck does he think he is to be a nothing?"

Many of us wear our humility pridefully.

We list our acts of service and our contributions as if we were college students applying for a service scholarship.  Jesus warned against this in the Sermon on the Mount.  In Matthew 6:3 we read, "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

I thought of this when I read our passage today from the thirteenth chapter of John.

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  --John 13:12-17

We remember that in the previous passage, Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples, interrupting the Last Supper meal.  Commentator David Guzik writes this:

Jesus knew actions speak louder than words. So when He wanted to teach the proud, arguing disciples about true humility, He didn’t just say it — He showed it. He showed it in a way that illustrated His whole work on behalf of His own. 

• Jesus rose from supper, a place of rest and comfort.
•    Jesus rose from His throne in heaven, a place of rest and comfort.
• Jesus laid aside His garments, taking off His covering.
•    Jesus laid aside His glory, taking off His heavenly covering.
• Jesus took a towel and girded Himself, being ready to work.
•    Jesus took the form of a servant, and came ready to work.
• Jesus poured water into a basin, ready to clean.
•    Jesus poured out His blood to cleanse us from the guilt and penalty of sin.
• Jesus sat down again (John 13:12) after washing their feet.
•    Jesus sat down at the right hand of God the Father after cleansing us.

Afterward, Jesus got up, got dressed, and got down to business.  "Did you see what I did there? He asked.  He had performed the most menial act of service imaginable.  "If I, whom you call Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."  He gave them an example of service, a pattern of humility.

Some churches make a big show of servant-leadership in this way.  Scottish Bible scholar FF Bruce said, “The studied formality of the pedilavium on Maundy Thursday, when bishops, abbots and sovereigns have traditionally washed the feet of paupers, may commemorate our Lord’s action but in the nature of the case it can scarcely fulfill its spirit.”  John Calvin was quoted as saying, 

“Every year they hold a theatrical feet-washing, and when they have discharged this empty and bare ceremony they think they have done their duty finely and are then free to despise their brethren. But more, when they have washed twelve men’s feet they cruelly torture all Christ’s members and thus spit in the face of Christ Himself. This ceremonial comedy is nothing but a shameful mockery of Christ. At any rate, Christ does not enjoin an annual ceremony here, but tells us to be ready all through our life to wash the feet of our brethren.”

Jesus didn't want us to make a big production out of washing feet.  In fact, I don't believe it was a literal command to wash feet at all.  Instead, I think it was a call to service.  If you see someone with a need that you can fill, do it in the name of Jesus.  It is Jesus who should be glorified in our works, not ourselves.  Charles Spurgeon said this:

“In the world they criticize: this is the business of the public press, and it is very much the business of private circles. Hear how gossips say, ‘Do you see that spot? What a terrible walk that man must have had this morning: look at his feet! He has been very much in the mire you can see, for there are the traces upon him.’ That is the world’s way. Christ’s way is very different. He says nothing, but takes the basin and begins to wash away the stain. Do not judge and condemn, but seek the restoration and the improvement of the erring.”

Romans 12:10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor." 1 John 2:6 says, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." James 1:25 says, "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

Somehow we know that this is what Jesus would do, but we cannot bring ourselves to do it.  That's why Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  James said, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Going a bit further with the foot-washing symbol, Jesus knew when He washed the disciples' feet that they would get dirty again and need a new washing tomorrow.  In our menial, tedious acts of service to which God calls us, we should not get discouraged.  Those we feed today will be hungry again tomorrow.  Those we clean up and put a fresh set of clothes on today will be dirty again tomorrow.

The need never ends.

And so we should learn to persevere in doing good works.  Do not get discouraged.   Do not get frustrated and quit.  Jesus does not quit sharing His light.  He does not quit showing us a better way.  He will not quit until we see Him in His glory.  Paul said, "Have this same mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

We must commit to our calling, as Jesus Himself did.

True humility is being willing to get our hands dirty

 

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  --James 4:6

In my last posting we saw that in John 13, the author made a shift in his narrative.  He started taking us in a new direction.  He even began with a prologue, much like he did in the first chapter of his Gospel.

If we zoom out and take kind of a "bird's eye view" of the entire chapter, we see a kind of poetic structure to John's narrative.  You'll recall that in Jewish poetry, instead of rhyme and meter, there is parallelism.  That's where the lines correspond in meaning or form.  There is also a structural form known as chiasmus, an inverted or mirror-like arrangement (A-B-B'-A'), which emphasizes the central idea of a passage and creates a symmetrical pattern.  This pattern is common in Psalms and prophetic texts, guiding the reader to pivotal theological or poetic points.

Now, I am not saying that we should read this passage as a poem.  I'm only saying that there is a poetic symmetry in the text, showing poetic form emphasizing parallelism and chiastic structure.

A--Jesus knew He would go to the Father, that His time had come, but loving His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

B-- The devil entered Judas, who would betray Him. (John 13:2)

C--Jesus humbles Himself, lays aside His garments, and begins to wash the disciples' feet. (John 13:3-5)

D--Peter objects to Jesus washing his feet, leading Jesus to explain.  (John 13:6-8)

D'--Peter, realizing the significant of being washed by Jesus, asks for a complete immersion. (John 13:9-11)

C'--Jesus resumes His role as Master and Teacher, having given them an example in humility. (John 13:12-17)

B'--Jesus identifies His betrayer.  (John 13:18-30)

A'--Jesus speaks of His glorification and commands the disciples to show love one to another. (John 13:31-35)

Think of Russian nesting dolls: when you open up the first, there is another one inside, and another, and another. When you put it all together, each part fits together perfectly within the whole.  I hope that this little exercise has deepened your appreciation of John's writing and has caused you to read this passage in a new light.

Now that we have kind of shown the outline, let's focus in a bit and discuss the subject of foot washing.  In our culture in 21st century America, we don't have a proper appreciation of the art of washing other people's feet.  Why?   Well, for one thing, most of us wear shoes most of the time.  We certainly wear them when we are out in public or at our jobs.  So when we get home and undress or step in the shower, our feet are not caked with grit and grime so much.  Many cultures teach that people should remove their shoes before coming into the home, so as not to track in dirt, mud, or animal feces.  Is this a problem for our bare feet?  Not so much in this day and age.

For another thing, we are not an agrarian society.  In 21st century America, we don't walk to work among cows, sheep, and other livestock.  Cars have replaced horses as the primary mode of transportation, so unless we have a pet in the home, our lives are pretty much animal-free.  

Contrast this with 1st century life in the Middle East. They were an agrarian society; most people lived and worked around animals, and even in the city it was not uncommon to share the road with livestock.  One thing about animals--when nature calls, they will answer, no matter where they are or who they are with.  Imagine going to the Temple and having to step over piles of animal dung, even in the Court of the Gentiles where Jesus flipped tables and used a whip to drive out the livestock that they were selling at an obscene profit.

They also didn't have closed-toed shoes.  If you weren't barefoot in Jesus's day, you wore sandals.  These sandals were your only protection from what was on the ground.  That's why it was so profound when John the Baptist said he was not worthy to loosen the straps of Jesus's sandals in John 1:27. With this in mind, let's read John 13:3-11 together.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hand, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  Then He came to Simon Peter.  And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."  Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"  Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"  Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."  For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."

Michael Lee Aday, better known by his stage name Meat Loaf, sang this: "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that."  Yet we see Jesus, who set aside His glory in heaven to take on human flesh and walk among us as a man, set aside His robes and take a basin of water and a towel--the towel that covered Him--and perform a task that only the lowliest servant would be expected to do.

This was not a ceremonial act.  Jesus didn't merely sprinkle a few drops of water on each man, and dab at it with the clean towel.  

Jesus was all in.

If the disciples had walked in a mud puddle, Jesus washed the mud off.

The towel which covered Jesus was no longer covering Him, and by the time He had finished, it was no longer clean.

How many of us are ever willing to lay aside our position or prestige and stand exposed before a problem, and then roll up our sleeves (so to speak) and get our hands dirty to deal with that problem?  The critical test of a Christian leader, says NT Wright, "is whether the same leader is ready, without a word of either complaining or boasting, to stay behind after the meeting and do the washing-up or put out the garbage...The truly Christlike leader is known by the ease and spontaneity with which he or she does the little, annoying, messy things--the things which in the ancient world the slave would do, that things which in our world we always secretly hope someone else will do so we won't have to waste our time, to demean ourselves."

Then we get to Peter, who thought it wise at that very moment to dictate to Jesus what He should be doing.  His words might have sounded like humility, but his tone was one of superiority.  "No, Jesus," he protested.  "You shouldn't be washing my feet.  I should be washing your feet."  In the other Gospel accounts, Jesus made the point that none of them had offered to wash His feet at the beginning of the meeting.  So the unanswered question was, "Well, why didn't you?"

Jesus is making a point here, and Peter was not quite getting it.  "If you do not accept My cleansing, you have no part of Me."  We all need daily cleansing.  Commentator David Guzik writes:

Peter had to accept this from Jesus. He became a pattern for us. If we do not accept the humble service of Jesus to cleanse us, we have no part with Him. Peter preached the good news of the kingdom and cast out devils in Jesus’ name — and still needed his feet washed.  Peter saw Jesus transfigured in His glory together with Moses and Elijah, an amazing spiritual experience — and still needed his feet washed. Peter’s own feet walked on the water in an amazing act of faith — and still needed his feet washed. This foot washing was a powerful lesson in humility, but it was more than that. It also shows that Jesus has no fellowship, no deep connection with those who have not been cleansed by Him.

So Peter asks Jesus to wash him completely.  Scottish Biblical scholar and commentator Marcus Dods said, "A moment ago he told his Master He was doing too much: now he tells Him He is doing too little.”  Beware of dictating to Jesus what actions He should take; we should never superimpose our will upon His.  Many times, Jesus wants to minister to us through the touch of another of His servants, yet we refuse them, believing we are not worthy.  Other times we want God to move in a situation so fervently that we demand He show Himself in a way that satisfies our own dreams and wishes.  Both occasions mark personal sin in us, and we should be ready to root out that sin of pride within us.

David Guzik said, "Decades later, when Peter wrote to Christians about humility, he put it like this:' Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility' (1 Peter 5:5). More literally, Peter wrote: 'wrap the apron of humility around yourself.'  What Jesus did here remained in his mind and heart."

Finally, we see that Jesus also washed the feet of Judas.  The lesson here is that we should, in all humility, be a servant, even to our enemies.  Not all who come to church and hear the word and receive the ministry of help and healing walk away repentant.  We see that the devil finds a foothold even in the most intimate and meaningful spiritual event.

When Jesus answered Peter, who had asked for a new cleansing, He explained that if you are washed by the blood of the Lamb, you are clean; you need only a periodic partial clearing of the mud and muck of the world from your hands and feet, or maybe your clothes need changing.  However, not everyone that comes to Jesus walks away fully cleansed.  If the heart is evil and there is no repentance, no amount of washing will make that person truly clean.  Jesus famously said, "Do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they be trampled underfoot."  In modern parlance we might say, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it will still wallow in mud."

To walk as Jesus walked means to put aside any pretense, any prestige, any positional authority, and serve in His name.  Even if it gets our hands dirty.