Today’s Readings: Psalm 99; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 13:2-20; 1 John 5:1-12; Psalm 97
Some might look at today’s set of readings and wonder what the passage from John is doing there. After all, we just barely celebrated the birth of Jesus and here today’s passage from John is already talking about his departure! Well, the way I see it that passage makes an essential point about Jesus’ life that applies to our spiritual lives during this Christmas season. And what point is that? It’s the point Jesus makes about the importance of doing what he has done. In responding to Peter’s reservations about having Jesus wash his feet, Jesus said: “Do you not understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master’, and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Teacher and Master, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you…” (John 13:12-13 from The Message – emphasis added). That notion of Jesus having laid down a pattern for us to follow is a theme that could consistently be applied throughout Jesus’ life. Whether it was Jesus’ appearance in the place you would have least expected it (i.e. the manger), to his time spent in dialogue with his own faith tradition (i.e. his participation at the Temple when he was twelve), to his baptism, to his embracing of the outcasts; Jesus consistently set down patterns for us to follow. Some of us occasionally lose sight of that powerful truth when we emphasize Jesus’ divinity to the point that we act as if Jesus was capable of only doing things we ourselves could never do. As a result, we quit trying to follow Jesus’ patterns. In the final days of this Christmas season, I would urge you to hold before you Jesus’ life and ministry and treat them for what they are – a pattern laid down for you to follow. Til next time…
Some might look at today’s set of readings and wonder what the passage from John is doing there. After all, we just barely celebrated the birth of Jesus and here today’s passage from John is already talking about his departure! Well, the way I see it that passage makes an essential point about Jesus’ life that applies to our spiritual lives during this Christmas season. And what point is that? It’s the point Jesus makes about the importance of doing what he has done. In responding to Peter’s reservations about having Jesus wash his feet, Jesus said: “Do you not understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master’, and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Teacher and Master, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you…” (John 13:12-13 from The Message – emphasis added). That notion of Jesus having laid down a pattern for us to follow is a theme that could consistently be applied throughout Jesus’ life. Whether it was Jesus’ appearance in the place you would have least expected it (i.e. the manger), to his time spent in dialogue with his own faith tradition (i.e. his participation at the Temple when he was twelve), to his baptism, to his embracing of the outcasts; Jesus consistently set down patterns for us to follow. Some of us occasionally lose sight of that powerful truth when we emphasize Jesus’ divinity to the point that we act as if Jesus was capable of only doing things we ourselves could never do. As a result, we quit trying to follow Jesus’ patterns. In the final days of this Christmas season, I would urge you to hold before you Jesus’ life and ministry and treat them for what they are – a pattern laid down for you to follow. Til next time…
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