Daily Bread

Interrupted by Love

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

    A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded                     as the greatest. Luke 22:24

A funny thing happened on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had just finished giving them the bread and the wine as the holiest of sacraments and while supper was ending the disciples began arguing among each other about who was most important. Can you imagine with me Jesus striking his forehead and crying “Oy Vey! These disciples are making me crazy!”?

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We may chuckle at the absurdity of that scene but just as the supper in its various forms has been remembered for 2,000 years; so has the conflict among us as to who is the best. March 6th being the beginning of the Lenten season I am taking another bloggers challenge up to honor the season by daring to do something new in place of giving up something I enjoy. I will be praying this next few days for God to open a door of service outside my comfort zone. Whatever form that may look like Jesus set us the example by interrupting the conversation to wash the feet of disciples who were each trying to be the most important. What that looks like for you or me over these 6 weeks till Easter may become the greatest adventure of our lives!

    So He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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. John 13:4-6

Washing Feet

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Why foot washing? Couldn’t Jesus have suggested something easier like hand washing or face washing?

But Jesus not only commanded that we wash one another’s feet: He humbled Himself to wash ours first.

It is a strange thing how washing feet shows Jesus that we love him and the world that He loves them! He washes us to prepare our feet to walk onto heaven’s holy ground. We wash one another to prepare each other to walk into the world and share the love of Christ.

With Lent on the horizon this is a good time to ask, “Am I ready and willing to wash someone’s feet today?”

Changing the World

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The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.  John 7:18

We often say that we are trying to change the world while forgetting that the only one we really have a hand in changing is our own. Of course without God’s help we are not too great with even that. Knowing how to get started is for me the most frustrating part. Whether trying to change my use of critical words or my diet that will help me lose critical pounds I find that failure lurks around every corner.

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Back in Jesus’ day He found himself surrounded by people with all kinds of different heart issues. Some were following him only because they wanted to see what amazing thing He would do next. Some tried to entangle him with trick questions, hoping to get him arrested. A few really wanted to know more about God and genuinely wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

The great thing is that Jesus got right to the point. His words shone like a spotlight, not only on that crowd but also on us. His words force us to ask ourselves the hardest question: “Who are we trying to impress?”

If we are only hoping to win popularity and acceptance from people and not from God then not matter how we try, we will fail. Our failure will not be that we miss changing the outward form and the material benefits of our efforts but that we miss out on the only one whose opinion really matters: that is the opinion of God. Once we can settle that issue then real change will begin. When God is glorified in our attitudes and actions, He moves all kinds of mountains and we will find an unexpected joy, just resting in Him. Who am I trying to impress? If my answer is Jesus; then His promise is to come and change my world today!