Love One Another

Reading 1 Context

The story of the Passover from the Old Testament book of Exodus.

God is about to deliver his people, Israel, from bondage in Egypt, with a mighty hand. God gives instructions to his people.

The core of the message is that the Lord is going to put to death the first born of Egypt, but Israel will be spared because they will signify themselves with the blood of a sacrificial animal.

Christians have seen in this story a symbol of how Christ will be sacrificed to save humanity from the greater bondage to sin and death.

Exodus 12:1–14 NRSV

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Reading 2 Context

1500 years have passed. The Jews have faithfully remembered God’s deliverance of them, celebrating it every year and looking forward to a day when Messiah would come and bring an even greater form of deliverance.

Jesus is in Jerusalem celebrating the Passover with his disciples.

During the Passover Meal, Jesus links the bread and wine of the sacred meal with his own flesh and blood, which he describes as a new sacrifice. As the lamb’s body and blood were sacrificed to mark God’s people for salvation, so Jesus will give his flesh and blood to save God’s people.

In the Gospel of John, we are told Jesus not only used words and bread and wine to prepare his disciples…he also used actions.

John 13:1–17 NRSV

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

[Judas departs to betray Jesus.]

John 13:31–35 NRSV

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Prayer for illumination

Lord our God, you sent Jesus to suffer and die for us, and in this to show us your love and redeeming power. Wash us clean of all doubt, overcome our resistance to Jesus’ humble service, and grant us ears to hear his command to love one another as he has loved us. Amen.

Introduction

If it were your last night on earth, what you do? Some might say: blow all my money on a fancy car, go see a sight I’ve never seen, have the best meal ever,…cry, weep, panic….

Maybe: try to connect with the people I love most and tell them how much I love them. My wife, Lily, Arwen, Melody, my parents, my brother, my friends. I am not long for this world, but can I just tell you how much I love you. Hug you. Hold you. Look into your eyes. Is there anything I can do for you in the time I have left…

Jesus is with his disciples for his last night. He loves them. He loves them to the end.

Exegesis 1 - Jesus loves his disciples

In the midst of the meal, Jesus tells his disciples that he loves them. That he loves them with the very same love with which God love them.

And he wants to show his disciples his love for them. They will see his love for them and the whole world, when he is hung on the cross as a sacrifice for sin.

But he wants to express his love, personally to them.

So he rises from the head of the table. And does something none of them would expect.

He removes his outer robes and wraps himself in a towel, like a servant.

He gets a water basin and begins to wash their feet.

Takes his time with each one. Kneels. Holds their feet. Washes and wipes. Peter, Andrew, Philip, Matthew..even Judas.

Each of them are “his own”. He is loving them to the end, to his very last night and hours and moments with them.

Just a few days ago, Mary of Bethany, had anointed Jesus’ feet. She had done this out of great love for Jesus, and sorrow, preparing his body for burial. Now Jesus, tends the feet of his disciples, in love for them and to illustrate his love for them and to show the meaning of his death.

Just as the water washes away the dirt of their feet, so his blood on the cross will wash away their sins and the sins of the whole world.

He is their Lord and Teacher and Master….yes….and yet his mission is not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for them all.

Since he intends to give his very life for them, there is no pride or pretense to prevent him, he humbles himself and washes their feet, like a servant. He washes their feet to show that his life and death — all of it is a service of love toward them.

Application 1 - Jesus loves us

If it were my last night, my ego would not be in the way. All that set aside with only the goal of expressing my love.

Jesus feels that way about his disciples. That way about us.

If you or I had been there, Jesus would have washed our feet.

He would have come around with a bowl and basin. He would have knelt before us. We would have seen the top of his head, the skin of his back. He would reach for our feet.

People sometimes wonder why does God need me to worship him? Why does God want praise? From little specks like us? Is he some kind of ego maniac.

No. Jesus shows us God. The God of all love. Completely other-oriented, and through his Son is willing to serve humanity. Serve you. Serve me. By giving his life for us.

In the pic: how can it be? That is God. In human form, God the son is serving and loving.

Unnerving….maybe more unnerving than a remote or egotistical God…a God that comes this close.

Exegesis 2 - Peter Loves Jesus

Peter resists. Not my feet, Lord! You will never wash my feet. You will never wash my feet. I may wash your feet, but you will not wash mine.

Healed his mother in law, multiplied loaves, walked on water, even walked on water with him, transfiguration.

He knows who Christ is. Seen it all.

Way outside of Peter’s comfort range.

Can’t get his mind around this action…

Big heart, fortunately…and one that is in the right place.

Peter loves Jesus, and Jesus knows. Peter just wants to be with Jesus all the time. Jesus knows.

That is what Jesus appeals to: If you don’t let me wash you, you will have not part “in me.”

Not having Jesus is an outcome worse than any other. So,Peter relents. More than relents, he reverses. Wash all of me. I don’t want part of you. I want all. If these are the terms, then these are the terms.

They are the terms.

Jesus does not need to symbolically wash Peter’s whole body.

But Peter does need to trust.

He must let the Lord, be the servant.

He must let Christ humble himself.

Peter cannot get his mind around Jesus’ self-humbling.

But he can open his heart to it and say, “wash me then”

And to Jesus it is enough.

And Jesus assures him after washing his feet. You are clean.

Application 2 - We love Jesus

We cannot get our minds around the love of God shown in a Lord who will die for us.

We probably cannot get entirely comfortable with a God who serves us this way, self-sacrifices this way.

Too much for our heads, for our propriety.

We must connect in the heart.

But we can love him.

We can trust him.

Let him establish the terms of the relationship…as we must for he is the Lord.

There is only one way to be in a relationship with Jesus and that is to let him wash away sin.

That is his loving purpose.

We must let him be lower.

We must let him serve.

And it is sufficient beginning over and over again.

Jesus will wash us. When we say wash all of me, that is what he does. Not just our feet or even our whole body…but he washes our conscience, our hearts, and our souls. His blood cleanses us of all sin.

We trust his words, “You are clean.”

Exegesis 3 - Jesus commands love

When Jesus returns to his seat and resumes his position as Lord and Teacher, he tells his disciples that he has just given them an example.

They are to do what he himself has just done to them.

They are to “wash one another’s feet” — that is they must serve one another.

He seals this example by emphasizing that he is the Lord and they are not greater than him. Yet, he has served them, so they must serve one another.

Then he links his serving action to his impending death on the cross. I will not be with you much longer. I am going where you cannot come, which is the cross.

He links his work on the cross with the service he has just enjoined upon them.

You must love one another as I have loved you.

I am your Lord, I have washed your feet. You must serve one another.

I am your Lord, yet I die on the cross for you. You must sacrifice yourselves for one another.

In short: I have loved you…you must love one another.

This is how people will know you are my disciples: You will be like me. You will be loving one another.

Application 3 - We love one another

If it were my last night with my loved ones. I would give “commands”. Please, really. Take care of each other. Love one another. If you remember the ways I have loved you, do that. Provided, protected, cared, do that.

Jesus died for us and left us this command.

We may not feel able to love or forgive or serve. Not in our own strength.

But motivated by Jesus we can.

We love, forgive, serve, others in his name.

In this way we testify that we are “his own” and we “have a share in him”.

Conclusion

This is Jesus’ last night with his disciples.

His last night with us.

He loved us to the end.

He loved us by serving us.

He points us to his cross.

He commands us love one another as I have loved you.

Let us obey his command, knowing that we shall be blessed in the doing of it.

Concluding Prayer

Eternal God, by your Word and Spirit, you have given us a new commandment: to love and serve one another in Jesus’ name. Let the good news of your love be sealed in our hears and show in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.