He girded himself…

John 13

Easter 5C: John 13:31-35

JOHN 13: 31-35

31Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33“Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love Like I Loved…

It is critical to compare when Jesus was glorified as to what our culture glorifies. Not only do we learn what glorifies Christ—and therefore Christians, but Jesus gives us a Meta-Commandment (a commandment above all commandments), “Love, like I loved you.”

We don’t receive permission to love like we want to love, to love when we feel like it or to love to the best of OUR abilities. We are told to love like him.

JOHN 13:01-38

1Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4*got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

5Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. ” 11For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16“Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18“I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ 19“From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

21When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24So Simon Peter *gestured to him, and *said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, *said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”28Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.

36Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

JOHN 13:01-04

During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas

There are many names for the devil in Hebrew and Greek, but they all point to a central trait, the Devil is a malevolent being with a compulsion to deceive. I’ve done studies on the Devil in other Gospels, but my preferred definition of his name is: “He who was cast into the dung heap to rise from the dung heap.” Diabolos seeks to take what has been cast out and coat you with it then tell you that is who you are.

Diabolos tries to remind you of every failure, large or small, and then tell you that the failure is your true character, and you can never grow beyond it. Diabolos turns guilt into shame, and it is shame without reprieve. Diabolos is not only a deceiver of your past, but he will steal other people’s pasts and lock you into them as well. Anytime we cannot forgive, we are locking people into their past and locking ourselves in with them.

The Deceiver casts doubt into our heart. Doubt of our being loved (and being able to love), doubt of our worth, doubt of all that is beautiful and sustaining. Anyone who fills your heart with doubt about your own dignity and worth is operating out of the Deceiver’s playbook.

I’m convinced that love is constantly seeking someone else’s dignity—even when they’re not. It’s not a saccharine emotion, though feelings can follow acts of love and compassion through the release of oxytocin. On a side note, recent research shows the heart releases more oxytocin than the brain. Does that make the heart a gland rather than a muscle?

Acts of kindness have been proven to help us release oxytocin and improve our disposition. When we’re feeling particularly down, that is the most important time to act with kindness—especially to those who cannot reciprocate. Such behavior flies in the face of the Deceiver. Compassion is the devil’s worst enemy.

Furthermore, what does it mean that the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus? Did Judas really stand a chance? Does he deserve our scorn for this betrayal if the betrayal was foretold? Wasn’t he just doing his role in the story of creation? The point is “when do we really have the right to judge others?” If you believe in preordination than you can’t really believe in condemnation.

If we examine the sins of Peter and Judas together, can we say that Judas’ sin was any worse than Peter’s? Why was Peter forgiven when Judas was not? The only answer is that Peter went back to Jesus and asked for forgiveness, he believed that even he was worth forgiving. Sadly, Judas instead commits suicide. Is that what it means that the devil had already put it into Judas’ heart; not the action of betrayal, but the inability to accept the forgiveness of the Christ?

· The Devil, Diabolos, [1228], slanderous, accuser, malicious gossip, accusing falsely

· Put, ballō, [906], cast, lying, threw

· into the heart, Kardia, [2588], heart, mind, quickening, spirit

to betray Him

When do we betray Jesus? Let’s continue examining Peter’s denial and Judas’ betrayal. At no point do we see Jesus close the door on Judas for his betrayal and Peter is offered forgiveness in equal measure when he meets the Lord after Jesus’ return. Therefore, we can’t assume it was the action that cause the ultimate betrayal. Instead, it was the inaction, the decision by Judas to NOT seek forgiveness.

Betrayal of Jesus is rejecting his love and forgiveness, which was his primary cause for coming to earth. When we refuse to be people for-giving (seeking forgiveness or granting it), we betray Jesus. Sadly, most people who live their lives rejecting love and forgiveness (including self-forgiveness) are wounded people, usually traumatized by childhood adversity and often extreme.

Especially during our teen years, we are prone to rejecting love, including the unconditional love of a healthy parent. Some people never make it beyond this Oppositional Stage of life and become latent (stuck). Less love and more condemnation are not going to invite such people to change.

The concept of “holding space” is worth exploring here. “I will unconditionally hold space for you until you’re ready to explore this concept of unconditional dignity.”

We know that Judas was damaged by his compulsive need to control money. It is so sad, not evil, that—even in the face of Jesus’ unconditional love—he was unable to open to acceptance. Until we can move beyond judgment and into acceptance, we will not be able to be like Jesus.

Our minds are closed and small when we focus on condemnation, but even if salvation becomes the end. The true goal is compassion. The famed Psychologist, Carl Jung, put this succinctly when he stated, “If our religion is based on salvation, then our chief emotions will be fear and trembling. If our religion is based on wonder, then our chief emotion will be gratitude.”

· Betray, Paradidōmi [3860], to hand over, to give over, to surrender, to put into custody

He girded Himself

In Jesus’ day, most men wore a chitōn, a short tunic that ended around the knees with a rope, leather or belt around the midriff. The elite often wore longer tunics to symbolize leisure. The tunic was not a style conducive to fighting or running. So, at those times, men would reach between their legs and pull the back of the tunic through their legs and tuck it into their belts. This gave freedom for the legs when needed.

Warriors would gird themselves for battle. In the discourse where Job questions God, the Lord tells Job to “Gird up now thy loins like a man…”

What was Jesus girding himself to do? He was girding himself to serve. He was preparing to get on his knees and wash the feet of the disciples.

Washing the feet, was the responsibility of every disciple, except for Jesus. John, being the youngest, should have been the first to wash everyone’s feet. What caused ALL the disciples to commit such an oversight, or was it an oversight? Did they not want to wash each other’s feet because they were trying to be the closest to Jesus?

How often, in our churches today, do we refuse to serve others in our jostling to be “closest to Jesus?”

Do we spend time regularly, “girding ourselves for service?”

Jesus just announced his death, what weight must have been on his mind? What gives him the strength to gird himself for service when others are only focusing on themselves?

Look at the number of times love is mentioned in the first verse and examine how Jesus knew he had “come forth from God and was going back to God.”

Only with confidence in this kind of love can we “gird ourselves” with the strength to sacrificially serve. That is the kind of love we are called to offer each other. That is the kind of love that should be given to all children. Such confidence flows into the strength and ability to be compassionate. Without it, we are all wounded.

· Love, agapaō, [25], to love sacrificially without hesitation, to endlessly seek another’s dignity

JOHN 13:05-11

“Never shall You wash my feet!”

“No, you cannot wash my feet!”

Who is Peter to command Jesus? No one else washed Jesus’ feet. It was everyone else’s job—including Peter. Peter may have been embarrassed (should have been) but he still is not the Lord.

Are there times we get too comfortable with our beliefs? Too familiar with Jesus? When our prayer becomes a command rather than a response of listening to what Jesus would say? Prayer is not telling God what to do, it is listening for what God will have us do then asking for the strength to do it.

Peter than flips his request and both overacts and overreacts. At this point, he is making a show in front of the other apostles. When does our religion become a show? When is it more important to us what others see than what is quietly between God and me?

you are clean

We’ve examined before that one of the ancient names for Satan (Katadiabolos) means to be cast out to the dung heap to rise from the dung heap. Satan seeks to coat us with the mistakes of our past and then tell us that’s who we will be forever. Jesus tells us that we are clean, meaning pure, innocent and clear (as in transparent).

To follow Jesus is to start anew and to live a life where what we do in public is the same as what we do in private (integrity).

· Clean, Katharos, [2513], innocent, pure, clear

JOHN 13:12-20

You call Me Teacher and Lord

Teaching, in Christ’s day, meant you walked and lived together. Your disciples (students/followers) learned a discipline from living with you. The discipline of Jesus was service. It was clear his disciples had not “caught” this discipline yet as they each refused to serve the other from John to Peter. Each one of them had the task of washing the feet of the others before it would be Jesus’ turn. It was a slap in their Lord’s face that he had to be the foot washer.

In what way do we “slap Jesus in the face” with a refusal to serve others?

· Teacher, Didaskalos, [1321], instructor, teacher, from [1320] didaskō, to teach, preach or instruct

· Lord, Kurios, [2692], authority, master, sir

‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’

The prophecy Jesus is quoting comes from a Psalm that is also known as “The Psalm of Enemies and False Friends.”

PSALM 41:9

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

This would not be an unfamiliar Psalm to those around Jesus, nor would it be unusual for him to quote scripture. What would be unusual would be the context. The disciples knew that Jesus was a hunted man and that he was in grave danger gathering people at a small home just outside of Jerusalem. But they thought the enemy was outside; not dining in the house, at the table with them.

How often is it that great leaders are brought down by their own followers? By in-fighting rather than an outside attack. Some say that Judas’ actions were prompted by his desire to “bring about the kingdom” in his own timeframe, rather than wait for Jesus’ plan to reach fruition.

We are seeing the same thing occur in the US Democracy right now. Ex-President Donald Trump, didn’t want to follow the rules of the election and the GOP is trying to win by getting around the popular vote through gerrymandering and manipulating the courts. They want to take shortcuts underscored by the belief that “in the long run…” they will be proved right. So often, bad behaviors and actions are taken based on the false belief of “in the long run…”

If you shift your values in the short run, you cannot control the consequences in the long run.

JOHN 13:21-30

The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking

How often are we like the disciples, instead of looking at the ONE person in the room that could help them, they started side-glancing at each other for whom to blame.

Am I a blamer or a solver? When there are challenges, do I seek solutions and build consensus, or do I point out problems and blame them on others?

and it was night

It’s hard to tell if it was metaphorically night because Judas went to betray Jesus or because it physically became night just after Judas left the dinner. The Greek term used meant either evening or midnight.

At what point does it become “night” in our lives? Too dark to see without assistance. My wife and I live in Mexico, the area we are in is quite rural and the power can be unreliable. We have a generator for when our power goes out, but we always keep candles and flashlights where they are easy to access. We have a friend who is on an oxygen machine and her family knows they can always come here if the power is out, and she needs to charge her battery.

When does your power go out? Are you prepared for “light assistance,” to get or give a charge?

The power was about to go out for the disciples, were they ready? Jesus had worked with them for three years, but were they ready to see in the dark or share their light with others?

· Night, Nux, [GSN 3571], midnight, evening,

JOHN 13: 31-38

“Now is the Son of Man glorified…”

When was the Son of Man glorified? When he was betrayed, when his life was no longer his own.

How does this compare to the standard of a consumer-based world?

Instead of receiving glory for success, he received glory for meaning. Instead of glory for wealth, he received glory for service. Instead of glory for power, he received glory for humility.

How do we build that into the conversations we have with our children and the goals of our education system? Instead of trying to raise successful children, we seek to raise meaningful children, meaningful servants that seek to be humble. How would our schools be transformed if the highest awards were given for service and kindness? Instead of school pride, we would hear of school humility.

· Glorified, Doxazō, [139], esteemed, honored, praised

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Don’t we often either wish this was a suggestion or treat it as such? It is a commandment, a requirement, a command and the only proper response is, “Yes Sir!”

Actually, the word “Amen” is a military term that very much means, “Yes Sir!” When we say “Amen!” we are literally saying, “As you command,” or “Consider it done.”

When we say “Amen” to this command, we are saying, “Absolutely, we will love others just as you loved us. We will see our greatest glory in being of humble service.”

· Commandment, Etolē, [1785], command, order, requirement