SERVING LOVE

Introduction

-Leonard Berstein, late conductor of New York Phil orchestra once was asked the name of the most difficult instrument to play. Without hesitation he replied: “The 2nd fiddle. I can get plenty of 1st violinists, but to find someone who can play the 2nd fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem.”

-That’s not just true for music—it’s true about life in general—it’s very hard to take a backseat to anyone; difficult to give someone else preference & honor, especially if it means not getting what we want, when we want it

-Unfortunately, especially in this day & age, this very attitude is tearing marriages apart all across our nation—when we’re constantly bombarded with messages saying “have it your way,” “this is all for you,” “you deserve break today,” people bring an attitude of “it’s all about me” into marriage, & then have 2 people only looking out for themselves----how in world can that work out—marriage is not the only relationship where that happens—what in world would happen in the church if everyone only look out for themselves?

-God calls us something higher: serve one another

-We are looking @ the Loves of Marriage—last week: Forgiving—this week: Serving Love

John 13:1–17 ESV

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

-this episode happens the night of Last Supper—meaning soon before the cross--and with it Jesus gives us a great example of service that should be the mark His people—in this pass find 4 distinctives:

I) The Motivation of Service (v. 1)

-famous passage, and v. 1 right away tells us why Jesus did what He did—He loved His own—but not with just any plain love—it says “love to end”=to limit, full extent, uttermost—as 1 author: love to the last breath and love in its highest intensity

-Love, highest principle by which anyone can live, motivated Jesus to washing feet, but most important, to the cross—if thereby Jesus so loved us, should not that same principle mark and motivate our lives?—when love someone, should be something within that desires to show full extent of love, and that moves us to serve other people with everything that we are and have; we thereby honor and esteem the other highly

-Paul: Rom. 12:9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. (MSG)

-If we love our spouse, or whatever other relationship, let love move you to selfless acts of service

II) The Magnitude of Service (vv. 2-3)

-to what extent should our service go?—just like we should set no limits to forgiveness, neither should we limit the extent to which we serve our spouse or others, and Jesus in this passage went way above and beyond anything we could imagine with magnitude of His service

-Imagine Jesus washing feet; don’t know order went in; but do know this: there were 12 pairs of feet He washed—so maybe started with John, James, Peter, Andrew, on down line—but know what? Eventually got to Judas Isc.—look @ v. 2—now vv. 10-11

-Jesus knew who would betray Him--and when got Judas, didn’t skip over Him; didn’t say “forget you, I know what you’re about to do”—imagine your Savior taking off the sandals of the betrayer, washing the dirt and other junk off of feet of betrayer, all time looking into eyes of betrayer with love (because that’s why did it), and then drying feet of the betrayer with towel

-At 1st I thought, “How in world could Judas just sit there and take it without just squirming off seat”—then remembered Bible says devil already had control of Judas’ heart

-Then wondered, “How in world could Jesus do it? This was not just some minor sin between 2 people, this guy going to betray Son of God!!!”----and hence what talking about----Jesus showed us Magnitude of Service—Jesus loved full extent, so served full extent, with no limits, even for the 1 be catalyst to His death

-What shows us with our service to others (spouse or whoever): we are to serve other person without measure even when not loveable at that moment—there’s times when people gotten on your nerves and you think just can’t stand ‘em anymore—when those thoughts start creeping in, think of Jesus washing Judas’ feet

-Maybe other person hurt/sinned against you, don’t think can serve—think of Jesus…

III) The Meekness of Service

-According to vv. 4-5, Jesus laid aside his outer garments, wearing meekest of clothes, took on role of slave and washed disciples feet—may not get full impact today: in 1st century, did a lot of walking where went, wearing only sandals—walking in the roads where feet pick up a lot of dirt (and other stuff, remember didn’t have cars, if anything rode animals)—was hospitable at big dinner to have servant wash guests’ feet because quite filthy—sat at low table (no chairs), reclined (leaning left arm, eating with right) feet somewhat going back—servant would come and wash feet as described here

-This task considered most menial of all, so given to lowest of servants—in Jewish culture, they wouldn’t even give to Jewish slave, let a lowly Gentile do it (considered so low)—because feet kind of behind them, paid no attention to slave—was humiliating…

-Now, if no slaves, disciples of teacher may do it, but only as last resort

-Never in recorded history, before or after Jesus, did a master ever do such thing for disc.

-Now, obviously the bowls and basins and towels were already there for foot washing to occur because Jesus just got up and got ‘em—never once after entering room, reclining at table, did any of the disciples lift a finger to do that task—prob never crossed mind

-what so ironic is that accord Luke, at Supper not long before this: Luke 22:24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.

-happened quite often—so each thinking greatest, they did not dare stoop down so low as to wash feet—“let other apostles do it, I’m not doing something so menial”

-I can picture in mind’s eye, as arguing “I’m greatest…”—Jesus quietly gets up, takes off outer garment, looks like slave, tied long towel around self for the drying, fills the basin, and starts washing feet—since feet behind them, may not have noticed at first, then feel someone take off sandal, look back, and THERE’S JESUS doing work of lowest of slaves----wanna bet their argument stopped real quick—you think they felt very small?

-Jesus, God, Creator, Lord and Savior who John the Baptist said not worthy to loosen His sandals (referring to this: not worthy do even lowest of tasks for Him) and here Jesus is to whom all glory and honor and service is due, doing the lowest task

-It shows the meekness of service, because it took the humblest of hearts to do it--and our prob is that we’re more like apostles, thinking it’s all about us—thinking too great to serve our spouse or others with even easy tasks, much less the lowest/menial tasks

-But what Jesus shows is that Serving Love means humility by doing even the lowest task in order to serve, love and honor our spouse/others

-only way to get that humble heart for service is to die to self—take self to cross and crucify it—where we say it is no longer I but Christ—humility does not come natural, the old selfish man inside us clinging for dear life and we got to kill him, else will not be moved to serve with love to the fullest extent with humble heart

-and that means when we serve, do not need be in limelight—don’t need to serve so sps or others can see how helpful we are—we don’t serve to put on a show Matthew 6:3-4 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

-when we can develop such a heart, we know found the meekness of service

IV) The Mandate of Service

-vv. 13-17—Jesus not saying specific wash feet, but He is model/example/pattern of serving love, and all called by His name are to follow that model of loving, unlimited, humble service to spouse/others all in name of Jesus Christ

-This all leading to ultimate serving love=the cross, which for Jesus come soon after—if our Lord/Master/Savior do such service out of love for us, what prevents us from giving the same serving love to our spouse (human on earth to love above all others)…brothers and sisters in Christ

-IS THERE ANYONE HERE DARE SAY BETTER THAN YOUR MASTER, THEN WHY DO YOU NOT DO LIKEWISE?

-I’ll tell why, because we think all about us—we like to look out for #1—Jesus put this way: Mark 9:35 "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."—Jesus is our model Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

-Paul put this way: Read Phil. 2:3-11—if you get it, blessed are you if you do it

CONCLUSION

-boils down to what 1 man called “basin” theology where 2 choices: Pilate, when had chance to acquit Jesus, called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole matter. On other hand, the night before, Jesus called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of the disciples. Which of the 2 basins will your hands enter?

-We cannot diminish the power of serving love, esp in marriage: Many psychologist say marriage is to be 50/50, you do your part and I’ll do mine—where may sound fair, not what Jesus told us today. Because what that 50/50 culture means is that marriage becomes a matter of trade-offs and compromises, with each spouse keeping score so 1 person doesn’t get more than the other. The goal is to meet each other ½ way. But that means you’re only giving 50%. Did Jesus give only 50% washing feet? Did Jesus give only 50% at cross? Jesus didn’t teach here to serve spouse/others only if they serve you. Serving love means we give 100% out of love, without any limitations, with humble heart because we’re not greater than our Lord

-There are some people who need to come to altar and die today—DIE TO SELF—make self 2nd fiddle with all love and enthusiasm

-Cannot give serving love Jesus patterned without the self being nailed to cross

-Maybe some desire to give serving love thru this body of believers…

-Maybe some here today have never experienced Jesus’ serving love from cross…