Holy Week – Thursday 3.24.16

Dear HCN Family,

We come to Thursday of Holy Week, known as Maundy Thursday. This is the day the church recognizes the events of the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.

John 13:3-8
3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”

Jesus knew He only had a short time left with His disciples. He knew his time was coming to end. It is interesting that this is how Jesus chose to leave them before His crucifixion. It’s interesting that He makes it a point to show them by example the power and the value of serving one another. Washing feet is a very intimate and humbling event between two individuals. It requires the washer to be willing to humble themselves and to wash one of the dirtiest and ugliest parts of a person’s body. The person receiving the foot washing must allow themselves to be vulnerable, exposed, and be willing to receive such an act of service.

Within the Body of Christ, we are instructed by Jesus Himself in from this moment to serve each other and also allow each other to serve! Many are willing to serve but in the serving we still maintain our dignity, however less are willing to receive service that exposes our dirtiness and our ugliness and that would leave us less dignified. Dignity in much respect is based on human pride and in the desire to present ourselves as more beautiful, more clean, and more put together than we really are in our vulnerable and weak moments.

Closing Thought – So when Jesus says to Peter in verse 8 – “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” This is a very clear wake up call for all of us, that we would be willing to be vulnerable with each other, allow our needs to be exposed, and allow each other to clean the dirt from the world off of each other’s feet. If we are not willing to do that, what are we saying to Jesus and His Body?

Have a great day!!!
Pastor Duane


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