John 13:1-17 March 29, 2009
Fifth Sunday of Lent
40 Days of Community – Part 5
“Stooping to a Higher Level”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
(John 13:1-17 from The Message)
1Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. 2It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. 4So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and wrapped a towel around him. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with the towel. 6When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.” 8Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” 9“Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!” 10Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” 11(He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) 12After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. 14So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. 15I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. 16I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. 17If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.
Last year for the Maundy Thursday Service, (which is the Thursday night before Good Friday, when we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before he was betrayed by Judas) we offered the opportunity to wash each other’s feet. We held the service over in the Assembly Room. Some who came had been part of a foot washing service before, for others it was a new experience. I think there were about 40 of us who gathered that night. I asked women to sit on one side of the room and men on the other.
It’s hard thinking about washing someone else’s feet. I know what my feet are like. I’ve got calluses on my little toes that my grandchildren point at while asking, “Mamaw, what are those?” I mean, who wants to wash feet like mine? And who knows what is in the shoes of the person next to you? But 40 people came to that service last year, willing to wash and be washed. There’s a reason our times of gathering like that night and each Sunday morning is called a worship service.
We are here to serve the Lord. We serve by obeying God in our meeting together for encouragement, prayer, singing, teaching and learning his Word, and fellowship. This is called a worship service, because we come to serve the Lord by being together in common purpose of glorifying God and enjoying him forever. But this is called a worship service because we are also here to serve one another. It is an act of service to others, whether others who are new in the faith, mature in the faith, or those seeking answers regarding faith in Christ, it’s an act of service to be here for each other – to laugh, to hug, to shake hands, to raise our voices together in song. It’s the model of the early church from the Scriptures – and it’s encouraging, isn’t it? Many of you say to me, “When I can’t come to worship on a Sunday, I feel like I really missed something important.” Well, when we’re not together in worship we do miss something incredibly important: We miss what God has called us as believers to do: We missed the opportunity to gather to serve Him together as His worshipping body, and to serve one another by being together to encourage one another and build each other up!
In these 40 Days of Community, we are being challenged to love one another in very intentional ways. Over the last several weeks, the teaching from this pulpit had to do with the way we speak to and about one another – emphasizing the importance of considering the reputation of the Church before we act a certain way, or speak a certain way.
What if all these baseball players we keeping hearing about had considered the reputation of major league baseball before taking steroids? What if they had thought about more than just their own fame & fortune? Perhaps they might have said, “no,” instead of “yes.” Just last week Albert Pujols was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Here are the beginning paragraphs of the article.
“ALBERT PUJOLS knows that people do not believe him. He does not just know it, he lives it, breathes it, he takes it with him into the batting cage in Jupiter, Fla., on a hazy mosquito day at the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training complex. Pujols stretches out into his familiar batting stance—legs wide apart, bat quivering high above his shoulder, head up in an oddly proud way, like he's a soldier sitting on a horse, like he's posing for posterity. A batting practice pitcher throws, and Pujols rockets hard line drive after hard line drive. People marvel at how much louder and fuller the ball sounds coming off his bat than off the bat of anyone else. That sound used to make heroes. Now, it only cements his guilt in the minds of the most cynical in the great American jury. This is the uncompromising math of 2009: The more Albert Pujols hits, the less those cynics will believe him. He will not stop hitting, of course. That is no option. He hit his way out of the Dominican Republic. He hit his way into the American dream. In his eight years in the major leagues, Pujols, still only 29, has never hit less than .314, never hit fewer than 32 home runs, never driven in fewer than 103 runs, never finished out of the Top 10 in the MVP balloting. He is the Best Player in Baseball. But this is not a great time to be the best anything in baseball. Barry Bonds was the best player, and now he is facing federal perjury charges. Roger Clemens was the best pitcher, and every other day another newspaper story takes him down one more notch. Mark McGwire was the best home run hitter, and after telling Congress that he did not want to talk about the past, he has all but disappeared. Alex Rodriguez was the best player, and now he tentatively admits guilt while headlines splash and fans heckle and a hip injury shuts him down. "We're in this era where people want to judge other people," Pujols says. "And that's so sad." He would like to leave it with those three words—that's so sad—but then people might wonder. So he continues: "But it's like I always say, 'Come and test me. Come and do whatever you want.' Because you know what? There is something more important to me—my relationship with Jesus Christ and caring about others. More than this baseball. This baseball is nothing to me." He stops cold. He shakes his head. Those words don't do him any good either. This is more of the uncompromising math of 2009: The more he denies, the less people will believe him.”
Now that is sad. If it’s true that it is just hard work, lots of practice, and a God-given talent that has gotten him to where he is, it is incredibly sad that his success (and the successes of many excellent players) will be looked at with suspicion for a long time to come. It’s sad, isn’t it?
But how much more sad it is when some who bear the name of Christ as a Christian, choose to say “yes” to behaviors, attitudes, and conversations that might puff them up for a time (like steroids do), that might make them feel strong and powerful in the moment, but in the long run brings harm to the reputation of the Church of Jesus Christ? We’ve all done it. We’ve all been part of it. We’ve all chosen to serve our own needs first, rather than considering how what we’re doing affects the whole body. And this is the uncompromising math of 2009 for the Church: That it seems like the more we serve, the more those outside the Church look at us with suspicion – wondering what we really want from them or what kind of koolaid we’re drinking.
And so, how does a guy like Pujols keep on playing? Why does he keep on playing? He does it for the love of the game. He believes this is what he is called to do – and to use his platform to profess faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we keep on being the Church, serving the Lord and others near and far, in this culture of suspicion about “organized” religion? Why do we keep on doing it? We do out of love for Jesus. We do it because of what he has done for us. Last week many of us nailed our sins/confessions to the cross. Tuesday night for our Lenten service we sang, “It is Well with My Soul,” and that third verse really hit me as I looked up and knew that my card was right there on that cross. “My sin, (oh the bliss of this glorious thought), my sin, not in part, but the whole – is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.” This is why we keep on serving, trying to do the best we can to bring glory to the Lord - because we believe that this is what we have been called to do, with thanksgiving welling up inside of us!
Jesus knelt down in the front of each of his disciples and washed their feet. He didn’t use soup and a scrub brush. This was not a thorough scrubbing. In those days, the servant would rinse the dust off of the feet of those who came to the house. People wore sandles! Their feet were dirty – dusty – dry. That’s what Jesus did, he poured water over their feet and then used a towel to dry them. It’s like, in this action, he said “Wherever you’ve been in the hours, the days, the years since you got to this moment, whatever dirt you’ve collected along the way, I’ll help you clean up and start fresh.”
This is a beautiful example for us. No matter what the suspicion of those who only look at the church from a distance, we must do our part – and do it well. We must be willing to serve and be served. For me, I’d rather wash someone else’s feet than have my own feet washed. I guess I’m sort of like Peter in our Scripture reading. We all struggle with feelings of pride that are often masking feelings of inadequacy. “Maybe you might not like me if you really knew me.” “Maybe you might shrink away from me if you saw the calluses on my toes.” Part of us says, “I can’t let you get that close to me, because I’m not really all that cool.” I think for many of us, our pride keeps us from revealing the truth that we need each other. We’re willing to say that we need Jesus, but many struggle with the truth that Jesus teaches over and over and over again: We need each other.
There are 36 “one anothers” in the New Testament – including:
Be Devoted to One Another
Accept One Another
Bear With One Another
Forgive One Another
Honor One Another
Live in Harmony with One Another
Greet One Another (holy kiss)
Serve One Another
Submit to One Another
Stop Judging One Another
Encourage One Another
Offer Hospitality to One Another
Be Humble Towards One Another
…and most importantly… LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
We cannot display the full extent of Jesus’ love in isolation. We need one another in order to give the most convincing witness to the unconditional love of Jesus.
And so, we serve one another when we visit the sick,
When we pray for those going through times of trial and trouble,
When we serve a meal,
When we sing in the choir,
When we put money in the offering plate,
When we run the sound equipment,
When we shovel, or sweep, or trim, or mow,
When we speak kindly, positively, and encouragingly about our church family,
When we are willing to look at the not so beautiful parts of each others’ lives, listen to each other, and help wash and refresh one another (even and especially in ways that no one else knows).
What happened in that Upper Room serves us. It teaches us. It helps us know that we must be willing to get on our knees and get beyond our own controlled circumstances in order to grow in faith. When I think about that Maundy Thursday service last year, I think about a time of gentle grace. It was strong and sweet. But a lot has happened in a year. God has opened our building up in order that we might serve in new ways. God has called to a new pattern of servanthood.
We have been serving over 100 people each Monday night here as an act of love to God for the ways he has blessed us, and as an act of service to our community (providing food and fellowship for the hungry and lonely). I would say that there has been a core of about
8-10 people who have made this happen every week. There have been others who have stepped in from time to time, and those who have helped from a distance, making cakes or pies for dessert. The sacrifice of service that has been offered here since December 1st, has made a difference in this community. I believe that what has occurred is that the reputation of not just this congregation, but the reputation of the Church as a whole has improved. We didn’t start the community meals in order to get new members. We didn’t do it to gain anything that we can see with our physical eyes. I believe we did it because plain and simple, this is what the Bible tells us to do: to follow Jesus without counting the cost . Jesus said, “15I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. 16I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. 17If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.
Why would we not rejoice in the opportunity to serve like this? It is a blessing. It’s hard. But my experience has been that pretty much all blessings come with some sacrifice on our part. I don’t know what many of you usually do on Maundy Thursday each year, but if you’re not usually in a church, I urge you to consider changing that this year. Come, be part of a worship service. Come, get beyond just sitting in a pew facing forward each Sunday morning. God is calling each of us to know more of Him, and know more of each other. Come, eat together with your church family, showing others how you love one another – and then gather here in an informal worship service to sing, to pray, and to share communion as Jesus did that night with his disciples.
Thank you to so many who serve quietly and faithfully. Thank you for your sacrifice. The Lord sees what you do. By the grace of God, may those who look with suspicion at the work of the church, be given the eyes to see God’s love expressed through each of us as we are faithful to his call to serve. Amen.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
40 Days of Community – Part 5
“Stooping to a Higher Level”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
(John 13:1-17 from The Message)
1Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. 2It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. 4So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and wrapped a towel around him. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with the towel. 6When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.” 8Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” 9“Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!” 10Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” 11(He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) 12After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. 14So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. 15I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. 16I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. 17If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.
Last year for the Maundy Thursday Service, (which is the Thursday night before Good Friday, when we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before he was betrayed by Judas) we offered the opportunity to wash each other’s feet. We held the service over in the Assembly Room. Some who came had been part of a foot washing service before, for others it was a new experience. I think there were about 40 of us who gathered that night. I asked women to sit on one side of the room and men on the other.
It’s hard thinking about washing someone else’s feet. I know what my feet are like. I’ve got calluses on my little toes that my grandchildren point at while asking, “Mamaw, what are those?” I mean, who wants to wash feet like mine? And who knows what is in the shoes of the person next to you? But 40 people came to that service last year, willing to wash and be washed. There’s a reason our times of gathering like that night and each Sunday morning is called a worship service.
We are here to serve the Lord. We serve by obeying God in our meeting together for encouragement, prayer, singing, teaching and learning his Word, and fellowship. This is called a worship service, because we come to serve the Lord by being together in common purpose of glorifying God and enjoying him forever. But this is called a worship service because we are also here to serve one another. It is an act of service to others, whether others who are new in the faith, mature in the faith, or those seeking answers regarding faith in Christ, it’s an act of service to be here for each other – to laugh, to hug, to shake hands, to raise our voices together in song. It’s the model of the early church from the Scriptures – and it’s encouraging, isn’t it? Many of you say to me, “When I can’t come to worship on a Sunday, I feel like I really missed something important.” Well, when we’re not together in worship we do miss something incredibly important: We miss what God has called us as believers to do: We missed the opportunity to gather to serve Him together as His worshipping body, and to serve one another by being together to encourage one another and build each other up!
In these 40 Days of Community, we are being challenged to love one another in very intentional ways. Over the last several weeks, the teaching from this pulpit had to do with the way we speak to and about one another – emphasizing the importance of considering the reputation of the Church before we act a certain way, or speak a certain way.
What if all these baseball players we keeping hearing about had considered the reputation of major league baseball before taking steroids? What if they had thought about more than just their own fame & fortune? Perhaps they might have said, “no,” instead of “yes.” Just last week Albert Pujols was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Here are the beginning paragraphs of the article.
“ALBERT PUJOLS knows that people do not believe him. He does not just know it, he lives it, breathes it, he takes it with him into the batting cage in Jupiter, Fla., on a hazy mosquito day at the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training complex. Pujols stretches out into his familiar batting stance—legs wide apart, bat quivering high above his shoulder, head up in an oddly proud way, like he's a soldier sitting on a horse, like he's posing for posterity. A batting practice pitcher throws, and Pujols rockets hard line drive after hard line drive. People marvel at how much louder and fuller the ball sounds coming off his bat than off the bat of anyone else. That sound used to make heroes. Now, it only cements his guilt in the minds of the most cynical in the great American jury. This is the uncompromising math of 2009: The more Albert Pujols hits, the less those cynics will believe him. He will not stop hitting, of course. That is no option. He hit his way out of the Dominican Republic. He hit his way into the American dream. In his eight years in the major leagues, Pujols, still only 29, has never hit less than .314, never hit fewer than 32 home runs, never driven in fewer than 103 runs, never finished out of the Top 10 in the MVP balloting. He is the Best Player in Baseball. But this is not a great time to be the best anything in baseball. Barry Bonds was the best player, and now he is facing federal perjury charges. Roger Clemens was the best pitcher, and every other day another newspaper story takes him down one more notch. Mark McGwire was the best home run hitter, and after telling Congress that he did not want to talk about the past, he has all but disappeared. Alex Rodriguez was the best player, and now he tentatively admits guilt while headlines splash and fans heckle and a hip injury shuts him down. "We're in this era where people want to judge other people," Pujols says. "And that's so sad." He would like to leave it with those three words—that's so sad—but then people might wonder. So he continues: "But it's like I always say, 'Come and test me. Come and do whatever you want.' Because you know what? There is something more important to me—my relationship with Jesus Christ and caring about others. More than this baseball. This baseball is nothing to me." He stops cold. He shakes his head. Those words don't do him any good either. This is more of the uncompromising math of 2009: The more he denies, the less people will believe him.”
Now that is sad. If it’s true that it is just hard work, lots of practice, and a God-given talent that has gotten him to where he is, it is incredibly sad that his success (and the successes of many excellent players) will be looked at with suspicion for a long time to come. It’s sad, isn’t it?
But how much more sad it is when some who bear the name of Christ as a Christian, choose to say “yes” to behaviors, attitudes, and conversations that might puff them up for a time (like steroids do), that might make them feel strong and powerful in the moment, but in the long run brings harm to the reputation of the Church of Jesus Christ? We’ve all done it. We’ve all been part of it. We’ve all chosen to serve our own needs first, rather than considering how what we’re doing affects the whole body. And this is the uncompromising math of 2009 for the Church: That it seems like the more we serve, the more those outside the Church look at us with suspicion – wondering what we really want from them or what kind of koolaid we’re drinking.
And so, how does a guy like Pujols keep on playing? Why does he keep on playing? He does it for the love of the game. He believes this is what he is called to do – and to use his platform to profess faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we keep on being the Church, serving the Lord and others near and far, in this culture of suspicion about “organized” religion? Why do we keep on doing it? We do out of love for Jesus. We do it because of what he has done for us. Last week many of us nailed our sins/confessions to the cross. Tuesday night for our Lenten service we sang, “It is Well with My Soul,” and that third verse really hit me as I looked up and knew that my card was right there on that cross. “My sin, (oh the bliss of this glorious thought), my sin, not in part, but the whole – is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.” This is why we keep on serving, trying to do the best we can to bring glory to the Lord - because we believe that this is what we have been called to do, with thanksgiving welling up inside of us!
Jesus knelt down in the front of each of his disciples and washed their feet. He didn’t use soup and a scrub brush. This was not a thorough scrubbing. In those days, the servant would rinse the dust off of the feet of those who came to the house. People wore sandles! Their feet were dirty – dusty – dry. That’s what Jesus did, he poured water over their feet and then used a towel to dry them. It’s like, in this action, he said “Wherever you’ve been in the hours, the days, the years since you got to this moment, whatever dirt you’ve collected along the way, I’ll help you clean up and start fresh.”
This is a beautiful example for us. No matter what the suspicion of those who only look at the church from a distance, we must do our part – and do it well. We must be willing to serve and be served. For me, I’d rather wash someone else’s feet than have my own feet washed. I guess I’m sort of like Peter in our Scripture reading. We all struggle with feelings of pride that are often masking feelings of inadequacy. “Maybe you might not like me if you really knew me.” “Maybe you might shrink away from me if you saw the calluses on my toes.” Part of us says, “I can’t let you get that close to me, because I’m not really all that cool.” I think for many of us, our pride keeps us from revealing the truth that we need each other. We’re willing to say that we need Jesus, but many struggle with the truth that Jesus teaches over and over and over again: We need each other.
There are 36 “one anothers” in the New Testament – including:
Be Devoted to One Another
Accept One Another
Bear With One Another
Forgive One Another
Honor One Another
Live in Harmony with One Another
Greet One Another (holy kiss)
Serve One Another
Submit to One Another
Stop Judging One Another
Encourage One Another
Offer Hospitality to One Another
Be Humble Towards One Another
…and most importantly… LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
We cannot display the full extent of Jesus’ love in isolation. We need one another in order to give the most convincing witness to the unconditional love of Jesus.
And so, we serve one another when we visit the sick,
When we pray for those going through times of trial and trouble,
When we serve a meal,
When we sing in the choir,
When we put money in the offering plate,
When we run the sound equipment,
When we shovel, or sweep, or trim, or mow,
When we speak kindly, positively, and encouragingly about our church family,
When we are willing to look at the not so beautiful parts of each others’ lives, listen to each other, and help wash and refresh one another (even and especially in ways that no one else knows).
What happened in that Upper Room serves us. It teaches us. It helps us know that we must be willing to get on our knees and get beyond our own controlled circumstances in order to grow in faith. When I think about that Maundy Thursday service last year, I think about a time of gentle grace. It was strong and sweet. But a lot has happened in a year. God has opened our building up in order that we might serve in new ways. God has called to a new pattern of servanthood.
We have been serving over 100 people each Monday night here as an act of love to God for the ways he has blessed us, and as an act of service to our community (providing food and fellowship for the hungry and lonely). I would say that there has been a core of about
8-10 people who have made this happen every week. There have been others who have stepped in from time to time, and those who have helped from a distance, making cakes or pies for dessert. The sacrifice of service that has been offered here since December 1st, has made a difference in this community. I believe that what has occurred is that the reputation of not just this congregation, but the reputation of the Church as a whole has improved. We didn’t start the community meals in order to get new members. We didn’t do it to gain anything that we can see with our physical eyes. I believe we did it because plain and simple, this is what the Bible tells us to do: to follow Jesus without counting the cost . Jesus said, “15I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. 16I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. 17If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.
Why would we not rejoice in the opportunity to serve like this? It is a blessing. It’s hard. But my experience has been that pretty much all blessings come with some sacrifice on our part. I don’t know what many of you usually do on Maundy Thursday each year, but if you’re not usually in a church, I urge you to consider changing that this year. Come, be part of a worship service. Come, get beyond just sitting in a pew facing forward each Sunday morning. God is calling each of us to know more of Him, and know more of each other. Come, eat together with your church family, showing others how you love one another – and then gather here in an informal worship service to sing, to pray, and to share communion as Jesus did that night with his disciples.
Thank you to so many who serve quietly and faithfully. Thank you for your sacrifice. The Lord sees what you do. By the grace of God, may those who look with suspicion at the work of the church, be given the eyes to see God’s love expressed through each of us as we are faithful to his call to serve. Amen.
