Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.  If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.  If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:1-17, 31-35

This section begins with the account of the Last Supper and the moving words that summarize the whole: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” As this particular passage commences, Jesus has already washed the feet of his disciples, Judas has just departed to betray him, and the rest of the disciples are in a state of confusion. At just this moment of drama and tension, Jesus’ offers these words, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Which tells us, I think, a great deal about the kind of love Jesus is talking about. This surely isn’t romantic love, nor is it simply being nice, nor is it only loving those who love you back. Think about it: when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, Judas was there. Further, he will now demonstrate just how much God loves the world by dying for those who manifestly do not love him. Love is hard because it is self-sacrificing. It means putting the good of the other first, even when it hurts.” (David Lose, …in the Meantime, On Loving – and Not Loving – One Another, April 21, 2013)

Jesus has not just given his own disciples a new commandment – he has given all of his disciples a commandment – those with him then – those throughout time. As David Lose tells us, love is hard. I know this is not news to you. In Jesus’ time, love was understood in a contextually different way.

The Hebrew word for love is “Ahava”. Hebrew words generally have a three-consonant root word that contains the essence of the word’s meaning. The root word of ahava is “ahav.”  The term ahav in Hebrew means, “to give.”  True ahava, true love, then is more concerned about what we give, than what we receive. For the Hebrew understanding of love, being the center of someone’s attention isn’t love.  And love isn’t about getting some feeling or fix.  Ahava is about giving devotion and time.  Giving is the vehicle of love. As the text from John 3:16 tells us, YHWH so loved the world that He GAVE His only Son.  Meaningful relationships have mutual giving.  Love may focus on receiving, but ahava is all about giving.  There is a difference.  Consider that the Hebrew word “ahava” is not an emotion but an action.  It is not something that happens “to you” but a condition that you create when you give.  You don’t “fall” in love – you give love!

Jesus has given us a new commandment to love one another – and to love as Jesus commands is to serve others, to be with others, to put others first out of love for them. So let’s be prodigal with our love – giving it away again and again in a wastefully, extravagant manner.

Pastor Dave

“I used to love dogs until I discovered cats.” Nafisa Joseph

In the Catholic Church, the Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday because on this day Judas made a bargain with the high priest to betray Jesus for 30 silver pieces (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6). In Poland, the young people throw an effigy of Judas from the top of a church steeple. Then it is dragged through the village amidst hurling sticks and stones. What remains of the effigy is drowned in a nearby stream or pond. This is also the day that Jesus was anointed with an expensive jar of alabaster by the woman at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-19).

Why would one of Jesus’ own disciples betray Him? What motive could Judas have? Many have speculated through the years. Perhaps his feelings were hurt when Jesus rebuked him when Mary poured the ointment over Jesus’ feet. Perhaps it was plain greed. Some speculate that Judas wanted to “force” Jesus into an open display of Messianic glory. And others, quoting the controversial “Gospel According to Judas” will push that Judas was actually in cahoots with Jesus who used his friend to force the issue forward.

In our “Post Modern” age we live in, there continues to be attempts to scientifically prove everything from our past – President Kennedy was shot by two or three people, the Lock Ness Monster is simply a hoax, and Judas and Jesus were close friends who plotted the betrayal together. The truth is, of course, that unless Jesus or Judas comes back from the dead to tell us what happened, all we have is the biblical witness. Oh, right, Jesus did come back from the dead. And that is the most important part of the cricifixion story. Whether the fix was in, or Jesus was betrayed, he was arrested, scourged, hung on a cross and died – only to rise on the third day.

Although I have no idea if we live in  a post-modern age, psuedo-modern age, or alter-modern age – I do know that we live in a post-resurrection age. And that means we have the opportunity to live into the age to come – with Jesus.

Pastor Dave