"Jesus knew he had come from God and was returning to God and that authority over everything had been given to him ... so..."
It's such a small word isn't it ...so... Logically what follows this word should almost be self evident from the previous statement but it isn't - it really isn't at all.
John doesn't write about the body and blood statements Jesus made at the last meal they had together, he tells a remarkable story instead.
Disciples' relationship with their Rabbi was like a slave and a master. The disciple learned from the Master by serving him. We know that the disciples made the preparation for Passover; they were sent into villages to buy food for the group; they took turns to serve. The Babylonian Talmud tells us that "all acts a slave performs for his master, the disciple performs for his Rabbi, ...except untying the sandal."
Feet were considered unclean. Washing them was demeaning. Shameful. Humiliating. Only slaves would do it. Even Jewish male servants wouldn't do it. It could, however, be allocated to women, children or Gentiles.
For a master to belt his robe was unthinkable. Only lower class servants and slaves belt their robes. To belt your robe was to indicate that you were going to become a servant.
He had been given authority over everything ....That means he had been given authority over everything... SO
He got up. He took off his robe. He wrapped a towel around his waist. He poured water into basin. He began washing the disciples feet. He dried them with the towel he had around him.
We some times say - what is the cultural equivalent? It's offering someone a cup of tea or coffee when they come to our house
No it isn't. It's the cultural equivalent of the queen giving up all she has, moving out of Buckingham Palace into a council estate in Possil and spending the rest of her life serving the community there in what ever capacity she can. It's the cultural equivalent of David Cameron walking out of Downing Street and becoming a community activist in Toxteth. And then it's more radical even than that. Because this is GOD.
Jesus sat down and asked;
"Do you understand what I was doing...?"
No comments:
Post a Comment