Also My Hands and My Head

 

“Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.’” John 13:8 – 9.

 

Are there times when we refuse to receive the ministry of Jesus Christ because it makes no sense to us? Are there times we gloss over Scripture because it is, we think, not practical or because it does not conform to our thinking and practice? Are there times we insist on adding to Christ’s ministry – that is, times when we insist on supplementing the things of the Spirit of God with our own common-sense approach to religion?

 

For his part, Peter stands in judgment on Jesus in two respects. First, he judges the action of Jesus in washing feet, that is, Peter superimposes his own image on Jesus of who Jesus is and how Jesus ought to act – Peter knows better than Jesus, just as Peter knew better than Jesus in Matthew 16:21-23 when Peter attempted to correct Jesus’ thinking about going to the Cross.

 

Then Peter decides that if he must allow Jesus to wash his feet, that Jesus ought to also wash Peter’s hands and head. First Peter wants to detract from what Jesus is doing, “Never shall you wash my feet!” Then Peter wants to add to what Jesus is doing, “…my hands and my head.”

 

Since Jesus Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1- 3), we can say that in our passage we see Peter sitting in judgment on the Word of God – and is this not what we do, is this not our tendency?

 

Someone recently sent me a Bible study lesson his small group is using, the passage is Matthew 15:21 – 28, the story of the Canaanite woman beseeching Jesus to deliver her daughter from the demonic. In response to the woman’s plea, “Lord, help me!” Jesus says, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Does Jesus’ response not take us aback?

 

The lesson material that was sent to me stands in judgment of Jesus, and its position is that “Jesus is still learning, he is still maturing, he is still progressing – just as God is still learning and growing.” That is, a more mature Jesus would not have spoken to the woman in such a harsh manner.

 

Leaving aside the moral, spiritual, metaphysical, and ethical chaos that is embedded in such thinking, here is an example of sitting in judgment on the Word of God – the Person of Jesus Christ and the Scripture of Jesus Christ. When we don’t understand something in the Bible we want to sit in judgment on it. I have seen this time and time again in small groups, in Sunday schools, in conversations with professing Christians, in commentaries, and in preaching.

 

We want to control Scripture; we do not want Scripture to control us. We want to judge Scripture; we do not want Scripture to judge us. How often do we want to transform Scripture into our image, rather than allow Scripture to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ? This is true of those who profess a high view of Scripture just as it is true of those who do not hold to a high view. Often those who shout Sola Scriptura! are just as judgmental of Scripture as those who make no pretensions to seeing Scripture as God breathed.

 

Our call is to seek Jesus Christ in Scripture, to submit to God’s Word, and to obey God’s Word. In God’s Word we will find communion, koinonia, with Him. In God’s Word we will partake of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4). In Christ, Scripture becomes Heavenly Manna; from the Rock of Scripture, we drink Living Water.

 

“He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean…” (John 13:10a).

 

What does Jesus mean, “but you are clean”?

 

As we think about this, let us consider that Jesus’ view of His followers is not what we would likely anticipate – after all, they are soon going to desert Him and one is going to vehemently deny Him, then they are going to hide in a locked room out of fear. And yet Jesus says, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” (John 17:6).

 

Jesus continues, “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” (John 17:7 – 8).

 

How can Jesus say these things to the Father, knowing that within minutes these same men will desert Him and deny Him?

 

What can we learn from what Jesus is saying?

 

Perhaps Jesus says these things because Jesus sees the end from the beginning, and let’s remember that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Jesus sees His accomplished and perfected work in the lives of His People, in you and in me…in us. Jesus sees us complete and perfected in Him (Colossians 2:10; Hebrews 10:10), we are the “joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). I write “perhaps” for how can I possibly understand these things? We may get glimpses, but I fear to be presumptuous – I am still a child in many respects…too many respects I imagine.

 

What can we learn? At the least we can learn that we do not see things as Jesus sees things, God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8 – 9), and while we can learn to “see” the unseen rather than the seen, to focus on the eternal and not the temporal (2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7; Hebrews Chapter 11), I think this pilgrimage of “seeing” is just that, a pilgrimage…at least (hopefully) for most of us…always learning to “see” just a little bit better.

 

Jesus was not overlooking what was about to happen, but He was seeing that His work and grace in these men was far greater than their desertion and denial and fear – and isn’t that the way we should learn to see one another? Is there not a Treasure within us that transcends our foolishness and meanness and pettiness and sin? Do we not belong to Jesus?

 

Does not Christ live within us? (John 14:23; Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27).

 

 

Not Understanding Everything

  

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” John 13:7.

 

What does Jesus mean? What does His washing of the disciples’ feet mean? What is the message Jesus is portraying?

 

Could it be that our familiarity with this passage blinds us to the possibilities of its meaning? Could it be that its meaning is not as straightforward as we may think?

 

When we ask, “What is the meaning behind Jesus washing the disciples’ feet?” it is well and good to begin our answer with what Jesus says in John 13:13 – 17:

 

“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

 

Does Jesus tell us the meaning of what He is doing in verses 13 – 17? He tells us that we ought to follow His example by washing one another’s feet, He tells us that we should do so because He is our Lord and Teacher and Master and that we should therefore do as He does – but is Jesus telling us the meaning of what He is doing?

 

Consider what Jesus says to Peter, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will realize hereafter.” Now then, what about the idea “hereafter”? Does this mean “After I’ve washed your feet you will understand”? Does it mean after the Resurrection? After Pentecost? Might it mean “after a while”? If it means “after a while” does it mean a short while or a good long while?

 

Also, when we look at Jesus and feet washing, do we limit our vision to John 13:5 – 20? Is this a standalone scene that contains its own interpretation within it? That is, do we need context for this passage? Do we need the interplay of other Scripture to begin to “see” this passage? Do we need the unfolding of John chapters 13 – 17? Do we need the entire Gospel of John? Do we need the entire Bible to plumb the depths of Jesus and feet washing?

 

And, if we do indeed need expanding context for seeing this passage, then can we not say that Jesus washing the disciples’ feet contains more than meets the natural eye? Perhaps feet washing contains more than we think it does? After all, Jesus does say to Peter, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.”

 

We know from Luke 22:24 – 27 that the apostles (sensitive and perceptive boys that they were!) got into a dispute in the Upper Room about which of them was the greatest, and that Jesus once again spoke to them about greatness and leadership in the Kingdom.

 

“For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:27; see also Matthew 20:20 – 28).

 

Jesus has just served the Bread and the Cup, or as some friends would point out in Luke’s account, He has just served two cups and bread. Jesus is pointing to what He has just done, serving the bread and wine, as an example of leadership in the Kingdom. Jesus is not saying, “What I have just done you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Far from it, Jesus is, in effect, saying, “Do you see how I have just served you? Well then, serve one another in the same way.”

 

(Now I want to point out that there is still more than meets the natural eye in Luke 22:24 – 27, and there are elements in it that the disciples cannot possibly see until later – nor can we unless we grow in Him together. For as Jesus gave Himself for us, we are to give ourselves for one another (1 John 3:16). As Chambers said, we are to be broken bread and poured out wine for others. Our life with one another, in Christ, is sacred and sacramental.)

 

One of the things I am saying is that Jesus’ washing of feet is more than an example of servant leadership, that it has more meaning than as a demonstration of what Jesus is saying in Luke 22:24 – 27. After all, Jesus says, “…you will understand hereafter.”

 

And then we have John 13:10, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

 

If we read the washing of feet simply as an example of servant leadership, we gloss over John 13:10. (We also gloss over “you will understand hereafter.”) What is the bathing that Jesus speaks of? What does Jesus mean, “….and you are clean…”? What does “clean” mean? And whatever “clean” means, it means that we ought to be participating in not only receiving cleansing, but also in providing cleansing – for does not Jesus say, “You also ought to wash one another’s feet”?

 

Certainly Jesus is speaking of more than natural water and physical feet – just as there is more in Luke 22 than natural bread and wine.

 

And consider the similarity between the Bread and the Cup and the Feet Washing, we receive both from Jesus Christ and we serve both to others in Jesus Christ. That is, we sacramentally receive Christ, and we sacramentally give Christ.

 

Sometimes we just don’t understand everything, perhaps most times we don’t understand everything…but perhaps that’s a good and liberating realization…for then we can get excited about more of Jesus Christ – our Bread from Heaven.

 

To be continued…

A Pocket Watch Becomes a Lifesaver

 From my friend George Bowers....

 

Next Thursday would be my father’s 101st birthday. Although he passed in 2009 at 86, he could have done so much sooner and you would be not be reading my column today.

 

When he was in his early teens, his father, Beecher Bowers, ran a gas station near Maurertown. One day a cash strapped customer pawned his pocket watch for some gasoline and a quart of oil. Although there may be a station owner willing to do that today, most pumps won’t accept anything other than paper or plastic.

 

It so happened that my father took that watch with him when he, his brother and a friend went crow hunting a day or so later. His bib overalls featured a watch pocket in front of the chest where a worker could store his timepiece long before cell phone cases.

 

That particular day, Dad carried a .22 rifle he had bought from Sears Roebuck for $12.00. His friend had a similar firearm while his younger brother toted a shotgun.

 

As dad told the story, they all shot at a few crows that unwisely flew overhead. When none of them fell, he said they went to “crow hopping,” which is an activity I am unable to describe. As they were jumping around, his friend’s gun discharged with the bullet striking dad in the chest.

 

Stunned and scared, dad frantically searched for blood but found none. Instead he found two holes in his overalls. Upon closer examination, he discovered the bullet had entered his pocket, gone through the back of the watch case destroying the works, scratched the inside of the crystal a few millimeters from his skin, and ricocheted back out through the movement and his overalls to lodge in some unknown location, where it doubtless remains today.

 

They were all greatly relieved but none more so than my dad! The pocket watch sat right in front of his heart and this temporarily pawned timepiece undoubtedly saved his life.

 

With a mixture of relief, fear, and adrenaline, he kept the scratched glass but tossed the rest of the ruined watch into the woods. Instead of a mortal wound, he carried a large red spot on his chest for several days.

 

He never told his father and his father never asked about the watch. Dad suspected that someone had informed him of the shenanigans and realized that Providence was working overtime that day.

 

What I’d give to have that movement, those bibs, or even the crystal. Wherever they are, they serve as powerful reminders of the grace, mercy, and precision of God. What are the odds that someone would have pawned a watch just a few days before dad would need it? Why was it at precisely the right spot to absorb and deflect the bullet? What kept the glass from breaking under the force of the speeding projectile? And how was it that the random angle of entry happened to be exactly perfect to cause ricochet rather than death?

 

Dad shared that at the time he was “too dumb to be thankful,” but later in life he certainly was. I certainly am as well. Dad was a leader in our family, church, community, and in my life. Not only did he earn an honest living, but he also helped introduce us to Jesus and how to serve, follow and obey Him. He was a blessing to many over his 86½ years and was a superb Sunday School teacher for most of his life.

 

 As his birthday again approaches, I continue to thank God for sparing the life of this special man for over 70 years in order to bless me and many more. Chances are you or someone you know has also experienced a miracle that has blessed many. This is the perfect time to thank and worship God for it and to be a blessing to others. Thanking God, George

 

 George Bowers is the Senior Pastor of Antioch Covenant Brethren Church and has authored 21 books including Blessings Volumes 1-4 which are collections of these articles. He can be reached through www.georgebowersministries.com or at gabowers@shentel.net.

 

 

Are We Loving Jesus?

 

Good morning friends,

 

The other day I met “Sam”. Early in our conversation he asked me what I did before retirement and when I told him that one of my vocations was as a pastor the conversation turned to…turned to…turned to what exactly? Is there a word that describes what it turned to?

 

Sam has been highly involved in “church” over the years and I won’t say more than that because I want him to remain anonymous, just as I won’t provide any details about how we met. This was a challenging conversation for me, not unlike many conversations I have with “church” people, but this one was especially challenging – possibly because Sam was so sure of himself and because of his many church connections. I think I could have done better in my time with Sam, but right now I’m not sure how.

 

As with many church folks I meet, Sam immediately gravitated toward the conservative – liberal axis assuming that I was one of his social and political tribe, and therefore assuming that I defined myself by the tribe, and therefore assuming that this political and social tribe is the tribe of Jesus. He also therefore assumed that the hot – button social and political issues of the day are the issues that should define “Christians” and are what we ought to talk about before and above anything else and use as our litmus test of relationship.

 

On the other hand, I wanted to talk about Jesus. In fact, I wanted to explore Sam’s relationship with Jesus. I wanted to see if Jesus was Sam’s center of gravity and first and highest love. I wanted to put into play 1 John 1:3, “…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

 

You see, I know what it is to substitute other things for Jesus. I know what it is to put political and social and church agendas before the Person of Jesus. I know what it is to be religious without living in Christ and being centered in Christ. I know what it is to be somber without Christ as well as what it is to play the tambourine and sing and shout without Christ. I know what it is to do things in the name of Jesus Christ without actually living in the Vine, Jesus Christ.

 

Sam and I spent about 45 minutes together and he just couldn’t “hear” me. I was trying to connect with him in Jesus, I was trying to draw Jesus out of him, I was trying to encourage him to talk to me about Jesus in his life; but all I heard was political, social, church stuff; the whole liberal versus conservative, and conservative versus liberal…but no Jesus.

 

When Sam did refer to Jesus he referred to Him as many professing Christians do, as a spokesperson for agendas other than the Gospel and the Father; Jesus has become our pitchman for the Constitution, for economic systems, for social agendas, for political parties, for church organizations. Could it be that we will soon see Jesus selling cars and wireless plans?

 

(Don’t misunderstand me, we are fools if we don’t think the way we serve others matters; see Matthew 25:31 – 45 and 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. Pushing drowning people back into the water while we play on our cruise ship is sinful, ugly, and disgusting – we should not forget that Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:9 – 10. We are to be the Face of God to the world, the continuing Incarnation).  

 

This leads me to C. S. Lewis and his book, The Great Divorce. In my recent rereading of the book I was struck by the following passage, an excerpt of a conversation between a “Spirit” and a “Ghost,” the Spirit being a “departed” person now in Heaven, and the Ghost being a departed person who still has the potential to experience Heaven (remember, this is a dream Lewis is writing, he is not making a doctrinal statement about what happens after we die, he is exploring spiritual dynamics):

 

"Why, if you are interested in the country only for the sake of painting it, you'll never learn to see the country."

 

"But that's just how a real artist is interested in the country."

 

"No. You're forgetting," said the Spirit. "That was not how you began. Light itself was your first love: you loved paint only as a means of telling about light."

 

"Oh, that's ages ago," said the Ghost. "One grows out of that. Of course, you haven't seen my later works. One becomes more and more interested in paint for its own sake."

 

"One does, indeed. I also have had to recover from that. It was all a snare. Ink and catgut and paint were necessary down there, but they are also dangerous stimulants. Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from love of the thing he tells, to the love of the telling till, deep down in Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him. For it doesn't stop at being interested in paint, you know. They sink lower - become interested in their own personalities and then in nothing but their own reputations."

 

"I don't think I'm much troubled in that way," said the Ghost stiffly.

 

"That's excellent," said the Spirit. "Not many of us had quite got over it when we first arrived. But if there is any of that inflammation left it will be cured when you come to the fountain."

 

"What fountain's that?"

 

"It is up there in the mountains," said the Spirit. "Very cold and clear, between two green hills. A little like Letha. When you have drunk of it you forget forever all proprietorship in your own works. You enjoy them just as if they were someone else's; without pride and without modesty."

 

Pages 84 - 86.

 

Bold is mine.

 

Are we more interested in what we say about Christ than in Christ?

 

Are we Christians without Christ?

 

Are we our own victims of John 5:39?

 

How is it that we call ourselves Christians and yet not talk about our relationship with Jesus?

 

Is 1 John 1:3 a reality in our lives?

 

Are we loving Jesus?