Easter

Wash Them Anyway

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So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 NLT

“Anymore dirty dishes?” my wife often asks, rolling her eyes after closing the dishwasher, walking away from the sink, and then spotting my forgotten coffee cup in the office. Her tone tells me, that she doesn’t mind so much doing the dishes as she just wishes they could be finally done for the night! That is a bit like the washing of feet was for people in Jesus’ day. While the other three gospels detail the institution of communion at the Last Supper, John gives us the story of what happened next. And while, depending on our faith community, we take communion once a day, once a week or even a month, washing feet, like washing the dishes is a something that is a constant chore. Think of the world of Jesus’ day, with horses, donkeys, and sheep wandering the city streets, and it doesn’t take much imagination to know what people’s feet looked and smelled like. Leaving their sandals at the door that night definitely helped, but the bare feet of the disciples certainly couldn’t have been squeaky clean. Maybe as they had come into the upper room that night, they wondered who should wash their feet. Luke’s gospel tells us that they argued over who was the most important, so it is easy to see why no one wanted to wash anyone’s feet. At the end of the meal, when Jesus disappeared into a side room for a moment, nobody noticed, until He suddenly appeared in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist and a basin of water in his hands. Next, he knelt, and, one by one, began to wash their feet. The same men who had gladly received the bread that Jesus had broken and drank the cup He had blessed were shocked as Jesus humbly washed the grime from their feet and then dried them with a towel. After Jesus finished, he stood up and said,

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” John 13:14

Though our world is vastly different from theirs, feet still get dirty and washing them is still menial and seemingly pointless because feet just get dirty again! But Jesus tells us, “I did it so you can do it too!” When dirty feet show up at our doorstep, again and again, we may sigh, like my wife does at finding my forgotten coffee cups, but Jesus calls us to just go get a basin and towel and wash them anyway!

A House of Prayer

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He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17 NLT

Keeping church and state separate is even written into our U. S. constitution, but Jesus shows us that church and business should also be separate. Often, the pastors of large churches are criticized for their overzealous fund-raising appeals. But while we are criticizing them, we easily lose sight of the wheeling and dealing that can creep into our time of corporate worship. We must remind ourselves that church should never be the place we go to make business connections or to advance our financial position. Jesus called the temple of His day, “A house of prayer for all nations,” Interestingly, this is not the first time that Jesus did this. In the second chapter of John, we find a similar scene right at the beginning of His ministry. But after three years, those same money changers were back doing the same exact things. In His first visit, Jesus made an additional reference to the temple, that time calling it, “My Father’s house.” When we go to church, it is important to remember that though some denomination, or non-profit organization may have their name on the title, in God’s sight, the church is a place belonging entirely to Him and is to be used exclusively for prayer and worship.

This coming weekend is Palm Sunday, and the start of the festivities surrounding Easter. With all the hustle and bustle we have to consciously make the commitment to refocus and remember who this is all about. Why are we planning the things that we do? Who is it for? is there space to pause and reflect on the cross and resurrection morning? Just as in HIs day, they celebrated as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, but only a few days later the crowds began to chant, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Jesus came to give His life. Will He also find us pushing and shoving for financial advantage or forgetting Him in the midst of the busyness of special meals, egg hunts and purchasing of Easter outfits? Just as in His day, from the money changers in the temple, to the soldiers gambling for His clothing, many people missing seeing the value of God’s free and precious gift, as Jesus died to pay the price for our sins. But the good news is that story didn’t end on the cross. Just as He had said, three days later, very early on Sunday morning, Jesus rose, triumphant over death and offering the gift of eternal life to everyone who would simply believe in Him.

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One Simple Miracle

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But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 
Matthew 28:5-6 ESV

As we get closer to Easter, we need to remember what our faith is really about. Christianity is not about big church buildings, Christian concerts with special effects or elaborate social programs. Instead, all that we are and everything we do is based on one single morning at a tomb. The body of Jesus was supposed to be inside it. The priests were counting on it, because they had sent soldiers to guard it. Pilate was sure of it, because it was shut with a Roman seal. Even the closest friends of Jesus believed He would be there because they went with spices to prepare the body. And the grave was shut. The tomb was silent. The death from crucifixion was final…. Until it wasn’t!

“You seek Jesus who was crucified” the angel said. “He is not here for He has risen as He said!” And in that moment all History turned on the hinge of one simple miracle - an empty tomb and our risen Lord!