Woven

Read – John 13: 1-35

As you are reading today, I would like for you to put yourself in the story. We could very easily put ourselves in the story as the disciples. It’s not as easy to imagine us leading as Jesus did. However, Jesus was modeling for His disciples the way He wanted them to live when He was gone. He was offering them a pattern, and we get to learn from the pattern.

So, I want us to consider that God had instructed each of us to lead a group of students in the way Jesus was leading His disciples in chapter 13 of John. Jesus did it perfectly. We would all struggle in different ways with the assignment.

Consider these scenarios….

• One of your students (or friends) adamantly opposes you and won’t allow you to serve him/her as Peter did. Would you persist as Jesus did? Or, would your insecurity and impatience cause you to pass this student by, to write him/her off as unwilling, or to hid in fear from the harshness. Peter was harsh! So often, people will harden and push away from what we are trying to offer. It’s up to us (as the teacher/leader) to ask the Spirit for guidance into WHY our people won’t accept help. In our scripture, Peter repented immediately and opened up to what Jesus was doing. That’s not going to be the case for us always. Sometimes we’ll have to serve someone for what seems like a lifetime before they’re willing to fully receive the grace we want to offer. Jesus was an example of true humility.

• One of your students (friends) betrays you and makes a mockery of your investment in their life. In the Scripture, Jesus knew Judas would betray, and He chose to serve him anyway. We won’t be able to know ahead of time. But, as leaders, would we be willing to lay down our lives in service for someone that betrayed us? Judas’ decision grieved Jesus. He was more concerned with what Judas’ poor decision was going to do to him and his heart than how He’d hurt Jesus. Ladies, do we trust the sovereignty of God in a way that allows us to fully love those entrusted to us even when they make decisions that hurt us? Jesus was an example of loving from a place of trust in God rather than man.

• The group that you are teaching needs to be sent out to lead as you are leading. This one is so hard, isn’t it? The idea of humility can hinder us from spurring one another on to love and good deeds at times. If you’ve been leading a group of believers before, you know how easy it is to enable others to sit and soak longer than they need to. But, who wants to be the one that says, “Hey, it’s time for you to go out and do what I’m doing.” It sounds a little arrogant. If Jesus is truly being a model here, a pattern for what His followers would one day do, it looks like there will come a day when we have to look to those we’ve served and remind them that they have a call on their lives to love and serve others too.

Those are just a few things for you to think on as you journal. I’m certain God has a personal message for you today. He is so good, wise, and powerful that His message for each one of us may be different. Lean into His Spirit through prayer and reflection. Write out the message you believe Jesus wants you to focus on today. How will you put some action steps to it?

It might be a good idea for you to read the passage a second time in a different translation to seek more guidance and instruction.

Before you go, I want you to look at one of the verses that was toward the beginning of today’s reading,

Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (verse 5)

Y’all, I’ve never read this verse before and had this particular message jump out at me. We all know the disciples’ feet were likely filthy. They were covered in dust and dirt that their sandals couldn’t have kept away. I’ve always pictured the muddy water in the basin and a soon blackened towel wiping them clean. I’ve just never pictured that towel being worn by Jesus. My version (NASB) says that he used the towel with which He was girded, which means in was on His Person in some way.

If I’m reading too much into it, please forgive me. It can be my lesson and not yours. When we love and serve others, it will be messy. Their “dirt” and “filth” will get on us. It will affect our lives. It may affect how we look to other people. It will cause us to have to take even more steps towards our own, personal cleanliness. But, it seems to be worth it, because Jesus did it with all of His disciples. It’s so easy to say cliché things like, “Ministry is messy,” but it’s completely different to wear the mess and trust it's part of the process.

It has been life-changing for me to study these sections of Scripture as a pattern this week. It’s different to think about Jesus leaving sort of a lesson plan for our instruction. We look at the way He lived and get our own instruction on how to live. We can’t do it perfectly like He did. But, that shouldn’t negate our efforts or willingness to find the meaning behind all that Jesus did and attempt to have His meaning direct our steps.

Jesus, teach us Your ways! Amen.