Are You Scared About the Future?

Scripture Passage

John 13:1-7, 31-35

1 Before 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.”...

31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Focus Statement

The disciples were afraid of losing their positions of power in Jesus’ coming kingdom.

So, Jesus beautifully teaches them the power of loving and serving others.

Loving and serving others can free us from a life of fear.

Point of Relation

I remember when I was growing up...

Learning to swim in the Franklin Pond.

For the swimming part,

There were lanes to swim in and docks to swim out to.

I loved swimming out to the docks.

What I didn’t love, however, was diving practice...

because that was done off the diving board that extended from a bridge that gave you an over the waterfall view.

The diving board was parallel to the waterfall itself and once you dove you had to swim to parallel to the waterfall…until you swam past it to the shore.

IT…WAS…TERRIFYING.

I did, of course, force myself to dive because I didn’t want to look like a “chicken” so-to-speak in front of the other kids...

BUT I WAS TRULY TERRIFIED TO DO IT.

Eventually, I was not afraid…though…because the more I did it

The more I realized I was a safe enough distance from that waterfall

I was a strong swimmer and would never get pulled toward it.

Still, I have a vivid memory of that fear.

Things to Consider

Fear is a normal and a necessary part of life.

Fear can protect and motivate us to take needed action.

For example, the fear of failing a class often motivates people to study for their test.

However, misplaced fear can drive us to hurt and misuse other people.

For example, during the 1960s many white Americans were driven by fear of African Americans

to use violence to try to stop the justice called for by the civil rights movement.

Who are the people in our community who face hatred because of the misplaced fear

our neighbors and we ourselves struggle to overcome?

What Scripture Says

According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) this meal was a Passover meal.

Passover was one of the Jewish feasts each year that required travel to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices.

So, the population of Jerusalem would grow around 10 times its normal size.

The Jews who came to celebrate Passover not only celebrated freedom from slavery in Egypt

but looked forward to God freeing God’s people from the rule of the Romans.

The Romans would send extra troops because they had dealt with uprisings during past Passovers.

So, it is easy to assume there was a great deal of anticipation and fear through Jerusalem.

The disciples had also just seen earlier in the week (on Palm Sunday)

Jesus choosing to enter the city in a parade through the “Golden Gate,”

by which tradition believed the Messiah would come in to establish the eternal kingdom of God.

So, it is easy to imagine the disciples were planning for their role in Jesus’ coming kingdom.

(Matthew 20:20-28 and Mark 10:35-45 both show the disciples doing just this as they approach Jerusalem for the Passover).

The custom at the time called for people to wash their feet and hands before dinner.

It is very likely that the disciples had not washed their feet that evening.

According to the custom of the time, the feet of individuals of higher social rank were to be washed by those of lower social rank.

The disciples may have chosen to skip washing their feet

so they would not be compelled to wash the feet of another disciple,

thereby revealing their lower status.

Jesus, of course, beautifully reveals that his kingdom will be defined by service and love.

Jesus, by washing his own disciples’ feet,

reveals that status doesn’t define a follower of Jesus, love and service does.

(This reiterates the lesson that Jesus teaches the disciples in Matthew 20:20-28 and Mark 10:35-45 after they vie for status in the future kingdom).

What This Means for You

What are you defined by?

How do you struggle with status?

We all live in a culture that pushes us to view each other as competitors.

Climbing the social ladder can feel like the duty of an American citizen.

GOOD NEWS!!!

As a citizen of the kingdom of God you have been set free from those goals and demands.

Maundy Thursday is the Church’s gift to remind us we have a new commandment,

“to love one another.”

What This Means For Us

At this point, I am going to ask you to pull out that slip of paper and pencil you were given at the beginning of the service...

I am going to give you a few minutes to reflect on how our congregation could lovingly serve members of our Newton community.

Write those ideas on the slip of paper and when you come up for the handwashing put the pencil and the slip of paper in the basket.

At this time, I will ask Henry to play so soft music to give you all a moment to reflect and share.