A NEW COMMANDMENT

John 13:31-36

 ³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

   ³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

   ³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 ³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

   Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

I recently read this passage in a different way.  I read it relationally instead of theologically.  I read it emotionally rather than intellectually.  It is so filled with feelings and fear!  Jesus is finally telling his disciples that he is leaving them and they cannot go with him.

But before he goes he has one last commandment to leave with them.  “Love one another.  As I have loved you, so must you love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus connects two messages and it seems they are of equal importance; or, perhaps not!  He moves quickly from saying he is leaving them to what they must begin doing in his absence, loving one another.

But the disciples get stuck on the first statement while they seem to entirely miss the second!  They are hung up on losing Jesus and they fail to grasp the importance of his new commandment.

This is somewhat understandable.  Think about how these men were feeling!  See how emotionally attached they had become to Jesus!  Their lives were completely intertwined with his.  Peter asks, “Where are you going?  Why can’t I follow you?  I will lay down my life for you!”  Thomas says, “We don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 

One thing jumps out at me.  I see their passion to be near Jesus all the time.  I see their total dependence on him.  And I realize how little of that kind of spirit I can see in myself and the Christians around me!  How we love our lives and fail to have a greater longing to be with Jesus!

We dare not miss the second part of Jesus’ command because it explains the importance of the whole thing.  “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  How will all men know?  How can the world know how we feel about one another?  How will feeling love for each other bear witness to the world?

Jesus promises that our mutual love will be a testimony.  Here is more proof that love is not just a feeling!  Love is action!  The world can see our actions, not our feelings!  So we must demonstrate our love by our deeds.  Only then will the world be able to see that we are true followers of Jesus!

DOING IT GOD'S WAY



 2 Samuel 6

The story of David and the ark of the covenant is familiar.  David made king of Israel.  He defeats the Philistines and decides to bring the ark to the City of David.  His first attempt ends in tragedy when Uzzah is struck dead by God for grabbing the ark in an effort to prevent it from falling from the cart on which it was being carried.  David leaves the ark at the home of Obed-Edom for three months before attempting a second time to bring it to Jerusalem.  This time his effort is met with success and the whole house of Israel celebrates with him.

I’m wondering about the nature of the difference between the two attempts which caused one to be successful while the other failed.  The common explanation is undoubtedly correct.  The ark was supposed to be carried with poles by priests, not moved on a cart like common furniture.  Had it been carried properly the first time it would not have been in danger of falling and Uzzah would not have touched it and died.

But I’m wondering about what lay behind the decision to use a cart the first time.  Surely there were priests who knew how the ark was supposed to be transported.  Why didn’t they speak up?  Or perhaps they did speak and David ignored them.  We cannot know what happened.  But I do see this:  There is no reference to David inquiring of the Lord about retrieving the ark.  In chapter 5 David inquires of the Lord twice about whether he should do battle with the Philistines.  When it comes to the ark, no such inquiry is recorded.

Perhaps David was very much like us.  Perhaps he was so sure that he was doing a good thing, a holy thing, that there was no need to seek God’s face.  If he was doing a spiritual thing, surely God would bless it and give him success.  But he didn’t get God’s direction and as a result he did the deed the wrong way and a man died.

I think the lesson is that even when we are trying to serve the Lord we need to seek his face in order to ensure that we’re doing it the way God wants it done.  I know God wants me to plant New Hope Community Church.  I know it is a spiritual and holy employment.  But that doesn’t mean I can just go about it any way I want to.  God has a way he wants this church planted and if I want to obey him and avoid a Uzzah-like disaster, I need to seek his face and wait for him to show me his way!

HOW SHALL WE THEN PRAY?

I have found myself in several situations recently in which there has been a lot of discussion about prayer.  How should we pray? Why should we pray?  What does prayer actually accomplish?  Does prayer change God’s mind or plans?

I have a friend who has been battling brain cancer for about two years.  She has had multiple surgeries and still continues to struggle with the cancer.  There are hundreds of people holding her up to the Lord in their prayers.  A Facebook page has been formed for her encouragement and support. 

Several people have expressed frustration because they have “prayed so hard” for her and “it’s not working.”  This has led to several conversations about prayer and some long discussions with people about what prayer actually accomplishes.  I recently finished preaching a series on the life of Abraham and my thoughts returned to Genesis 18 where Abraham prays for any righteous people living in Sodom.

Obviously, my concern is with people who tend to see prayer as magic.  What I mean is, people who think if they say the right words God will have to do what THEY want him to do.  Or if they ask often enough they will be able to get God to intervene.  Or if they get enough people to ask then God will be required to respond.  Or if they REALLY MEAN IT God will change the situation.

Abraham’s behavior in Genesis 18 gives a wonderful example for us in prayer.  As Jehovah and the angels eat the meal Abraham has provided, he merely stands nearby, listening for God to say something.  As the three rise to depart, Abraham also goes and walks along with them.  And when the Lord stays behind and the two angels head toward Sodom, Abraham remains standing before him.  To this point Abraham has said NOTHING!  Finally, God speaks and tells Abraham what he intends to do.  Only THEN does Abraham begin to speak!  It is silence, silence, silence.  Then God speaks.  Finally Abraham speaks.  Yet is not ALL of this prayer?

In 2 Samuel 5 the Philistines come up to Israel and spread out for battle in the Valley of Rephaim.  What is so telling to me is that David, the warrior-king, does not gather his army, march on the Philistines, and ask God to give him victory over his uncircumcised enemies!  Rather, before he does anything he ASKS God what he should do!  Then God guides him.

May we learn to wait in silence and ask God for direction rather than make demands of him and then request blessing on what we’ve already decided to do!

DO AS I HAVE DONE



 <sup>John 13:12-17

12</sup> When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

This teaching is so plain that it cannot be misinterpreted.  Yet, as simple as it is, the overwhelming failure to obey it has caused strife and trouble in the church throughout history!

Humility.  As we saw in the preceding post, even though the Father had given Jesus authority over all things, he did not use that power for himself.  Rather, he designed all the events of the next hours to serve and save his people.  He did not think of himself.  Instead, he made himself the servant of others.  The footwashing was merely a picture of what he was about to do.  And when Jesus tells us to wash one another’s feet, is he not telling us that we are also to follow his example and lay down our lives for one another? 

I have not become a pastor so that others will look up to me or serve me.  The shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.  So I must continually look for ways to be a servant to every person God brings to me.  He set the example for me.

And it’s not good enough just to know this truth.  Jesus says we will be blessed if we do these things.  So I ask myself this question:  What can I do to serve and be a blessing to the people at New Hope and every other person God brings my way today?

LEARNING HUMILITY

John 13:1-5

 ¹ It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

 ² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus knew the time had come for him to die.  He was leaving this world and going to his Father.  Isn’t it interesting how John refers to death?  Very simply.  He was leaving this world and going to God.  We make such a big deal about death.  As Christians we should see our death as a simple passing out of this world of sin and pain and suffering and into the presence of God.

John introduces the footwashing ceremony by saying that Jesus was about to show his disciples the full extent of his love.  Is he referring to Jesus’ pending death or to his self-humiliation in the footwashing?  The two are really the same.  The footwashing was a picture of the humiliation of the cross.

In verse two John observes that Satan had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus.  So as Jesus was preparing to wash his disciples’ feet, Judas was preparing to betray Jesus.

Now here is the really powerful statement in verse three:  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power…  Notice carefully, God had given Jesus power over all things!  From this point on, through even the crucifixion, Jesus was in control of all things!

Here is what we have to see:  All power and authority is given to Jesus.  So what does he do with it?  He took off his clothing, wrapped himself in a towel, and began to wash his disciples’ feet!  Jesus’ use of power and authority is so different from ours!  We tend to wield power like a club and dominate in order to get our own way.  Jesus humbles himself and serves!  As his followers we need to learn this important principle!