Sunday Class Notes: June 3

Humility Exemplified

Today’s Text               John 13:1-17

Introduction

 

This is the beginning of the second section of John’s Gospel; there are no more scenes of Jesus teaching the crowds.  The pattern of chapters 2-12 where there is a miracle or sign followed by Jesus giving an explanation are replaced by Jesus explaining the greatest sign of all, his death, burial and resurrection before it happens.  These are called the “Farewell” or “Upper Room Discourses”. The scene opens just before the Passover meal on the night that Jesus would be betrayed.  Jesus demonstrates an act of humility that would normally be done by a slave; the washing of the feet of the dinner guests.

Points of Interest

 

13:1-3               John uses these verses to set the scene by placing the time at the very beginning of the meal.  They had not yet begun to eat, Judas had already been prompted to go astray, and yet Jesus was confident in his destiny and had received all power from God.  It is particularly pointed that John mentions this fact: Jesus had received all power, had had everything placed in his control and was about to return to God… when all of the sudden what did he do?

13:4-5               Jesus gets up from the table, takes off his clothes, grabs a towel and begins washing the feet of the disciples.  It is important to note that even though the NIV adds the word “outer” to garments, there is no such indication in the Greek, which literally says “set aside his garments”.  Commentators rise to this and many describe Jesus as in his “undergarments”.  Undergarments for men were invented around the time of George Washington and were not widely worn until the late 19^th century; they did not exist in ancient times.  If Jesus had indeed removed an outer garment, then it would have been a cloak, comparable to a modern-day coat, and obviously this is not likely.  I do not join the NIV in protecting modern-day sensibilities here because it is vital that we get an accurate picture of exactly what was going on in order to get the full value of what Jesus is demonstrating in this act of humility, for it is in total and complete contradiction to what was stated in verse 3, and it actually becomes the whole point of this incident.  Jesus was not only washing the feet of men who weren’t qualified to carry his briefcase (so to speak) but he had utterly and totally humbled himself in the process!  (Can you imagine yourself doing this?) The NIV also states that he had a towel wrapped around him, while the KJV says he “girded” himself with the towel.  Was the towel providing a modesty covering, and at the same time being used to dry their feet after washing?  HOMEWORK:  Do an experiment at home.  Wrap a towel around yourself, as to cover up, get down on the floor and try to dry something also on the floor.  You will discover the answer. Once you have the answer, then remember that Jesus also washed the feet of the one whom he knew was about to betray him: Then you will understand what this scene means!

13:6-9               Peter seems to have understood that he was not worthy to be treated in this way by Jesus who was so much greater than he.  Jesus’ reply to him is also understood… sort of.  Well, in that case, how about washing my hands and head too.  Peter believed Jesus when he told him that he must be “cleaned” by him, but he still didn’t quite grasp the metaphor that was playing out in that room.

13:10-11            Jesus’ comments here refer to the fact that a person attending a dinner would bathe before leaving their house, so that when they arrived at the dinner, only their feet would have gotten dirty on the walk to the dinner venue; thus the custom of having your feet washed by a slave prior to reclining at table.  Remember that dinner tables were not like the ones we use today, and the “reclining” was literal.  The comment that not all were clean gives us a hint that Jesus is not really concerned about hygiene, for he knew what was afoot with Judas; his concern was that they be spiritually clean.

13:12-17            Jesus gets dressed and resumes his seat; then he explains what he has done.  He has set for them an example, a twofold example.  First, we as his servants must be willing to humble ourselves in his service.  Do we dare humble ourselves as he has done?  Second, our service must be to clean the filth of sin from one another, to teach them to obey all that he has commanded us, and to be willing to dirty our hands in the process.  We can never do this by glorifying ourselves; we can only accomplish this mission by humbling ourselves.  We are to follow his example!

Morning’s Stillness

Maybe I’m just a morning person, maybe you think I’m nuts, but morning is my favorite time of day.  I think it’s worth it to enjoy the stillness of the early morning light.  I took this photo the other day at Tierra Linda, before seven in the morning.  The air was warm, the birds were singing and other than that all was quiet; the scene was glorious…

I sat by the water and reflected on the greatness of our God, recalling those great characters of the Scriptures who have gone before, and how often they did the same thing that I was doing.

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
    consider my sighing. 
Listen to my cry for help, 
    my King and my God, 
    for to you I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait in expectation.

(Psalm 5:1-3)

There is nothing like reflection and prayer in the early morning stillness, before the bustle of the day begins.  It sets our sights on the goal, it sets our minds in the right direction. The whole day will be better, our walk with Christ will be closer, and somehow life makes sense after all.

Yes, it’s true; there’s nothing like the stillness of the morning!

Diamond Jubilee!

I’ve never been much of a fan of Royalty or monarchy. As an American, I’ve generally taken the view that we fought two wars to be rid of kings and queens so who cares about the Royals?

Upon closer study, I still don’t want any part of monarchy for the USA, but there is one thing about Queen Elizabeth II that I must concede:  Through a long and tumultuous time, she has demonstrated dignity, poise and class that is impossible to deny and sadly uncommon in our time. In short, I can’t help but to like and admire her.

I don’t have any idea what the “proper” thing is to write at this point, but this I will say to Her Majesty: Congratulations on reaching only the second Diamond Jubilee in history, and may there be many more years ahead!  For our friends in the UK, I hope that you have a great celebration this weekend, and that you are duly appreciative of the class that your Queen demonstrates for all the world to see.  She represents your great Nation very well indeed.

A Visit to Tierra Linda

Over the Memorial Day weekend I had an opportunity to visit Tierra Linda near Galena, Illinois.  Tierra Linda is a bed and breakfast, but unlike the ones I have visited in the past, there are no antiques, no crystal glasses and really no frills. What there is made me forget about these other things…but first things first.

The house is a simple old farmhouse, nicely decorated and simple; “homey” is the word for it.  There are only two guest rooms, so you don’t have a crowd to contend with, and everything is personal; you get to know people if you want to. It is “pet-friendly” so you get to know their dogs too!

In the evening, we had a cook-out, and while this is not an advertised occurrence and everybody contributed to it, it was more like a BBQ at a friend’s house than anything else, and then there was good conversation around the fire.  Note, this was just a spur of the moment kind of thing and they don’t advertise it, but it happened when I was there.

The grounds, 11 acres of them, are not carefully manicured formal gardens; they are simply natural.  If you like being in nature, this is the place for you. If you are up early, I highly recommend that you find a nice spot out in the property, a nice quiet one to spend some time with the Lord in nature; I sat down by the pond; there’s just something about time with God in nature…

There are little surprises all over the place, and I will be posting many more over the next couple of weeks; it is a treasure chest if you bring your camera!

I arrived in mid-afternoon on a very hot day, and the pond looked so inviting; there’s even a sandy beach…  It is secluded and private and don’t tell anybody, but it looked so cool and inviting I jumped right in!

This blog is not a travel blog, but if you are ever in the Galena area in Northwestern Illinois and you have a pet with you (or not) you might want to check out Tierra Linda at this link.

One of Those Days

Have you ever had a day like this poor brother?  I know I have!

In his case, he wandered too close to a group of playing children and got knocked over, losing his head…  Oh yes, there are days like that!

Think about the picture… our brother who is having a bad day (really bad in fact) is giving us a clue as to how to cope; do you see it?

His gaze is upward, to things that are above!

And notice this: He really does look pretty calm, doesn’t he?  He’s had his worst day in a long time, he’s been knocked down by all that is swirling around him in this life, and yet he is calmly looking heavenward…

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121:1-2)

I wonder what would happen if we lifted our eyes to the things that above before the crisis hit!

The Narrow Door

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”

(Luke 13:24)

Most everyone knows this passage (Luke 13:22-30) in which Jesus uses the metaphor of the narrow door to describe entry into His Kingdom which is not of this world.  Once the owner closes the door, no one else is admitted, no matter how much they thought they were worthy of admittance.

The clear message is that we need to do something to be admitted, and you can see this in verse 30:

“Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

If we live our lives with an attitude of selfishly holding on to our life, our own interests and our own advancement in this world, we might well be first in this life, but where will we fall when we come tor that door?  Will we even be admitted?

Self  is the great enemy of spiritual growth; spiritual growth is the building of our relationship with our Lord.  If we are stuck on self, we will not be able to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, for the two are opposites. When He says that we should “make every effort” that tells us that we have work to do.  Of course that is not to say that salvation comes by works, but rather that we must put effort into our relationships with Christ just as we must put effort into our relationship with our spouses and families.

I wonder, are we willing to be last, so that we might become the first?

Quote of the Week

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that History has to teach.”

Aldous Huxley

Remembering John F. Kennedy

Today John F. Kennedy would be 95 years of age; hard to imagine…

Of course I’d rather be writing about how he was planning to celebrate today that having to remember him…

Mr. Kennedy inspired a Nation with his unusual blend of optimism and charm.  He affected style, fashion and the way we view government and politics in this country.  Whether you loved him or hated him politically, you always had to admit that he was witty and had class.  For those of us who were too young during his presidency to really be affected by the politics and partisanship of the time, he seems to loom over the stage as someone we’d like to have known better.

In looking back at the history and events surrounding  JFK, it strikes me as fascinating to see the mythology that has grown around him.  Some today like to claim him as the ideal of modern Liberalism and yet he was the conservative alternative to the more liberal Hubert Humphrey in the 1960 primaries.  He served as Ronald Reagan’s model for cutting taxes in the 1980′s and was Mr. Nixon’s rival for being tough on communism and national defense in 1960.

Interesting…

In any event, all politics and nonsense aside, JFK is certainly a man worth remembering, an interesting character, and a model of class in public that our current politicians would benefit from studying.

Not Forgotten

Today is Memorial Day in the USA, a day in which Americans pause to honor those men and women who have given “their last full measure of devotion” for our freedom and liberty.  All Americans, and even many others in various places around the world should pause to ask themselves what the world would be like today had these heroes not been willing to sacrifice for freedom.

I disagree with those who say that these honored dead are the source of our liberties, for Liberty comes from God.  However this in no way diminishes their sacrifice or their service.  On the contrary it could easily be argued that in defending freedom from tyranny they have been the very agents of God.

Personally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every man and woman of our Armed Forces for what they do for this Nation in difficult times and often terrible circumstances; you are all an inspiration to freedom loving Peoples everywhere.  I hope that each of us will take the time this day to reflect upon those who cannot hear our thanks and praise, for their selfless devotion  in the service of their country and of decency, peace and liberty which  must surely humble us all.

Finally, I would ask all who read this to approach Almighty God in prayer today, asking that such sacrifices may never again be required of the young men and women of any nation, that His mercy and justice would prevail on the earth for ever.

Sunday Class Notes: May 27

The Hour has Come

 

Today’s Text               John 12:20-35

Introduction

We pick up the story after Jesus has enteredJerusalem; His “Triumphal Entry”.  The news of His having raised Lazarus has spread like wildfire through the region and people are flocking to Jesus like never before, some just to have a look and others in faith.  The reaction of the Pharisees in verse 19 is classic:  “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” Yes, they must put a stop to this business, pronto!  Our text begins with some Greeks who are present for Passover who approach Phillip asking to meet with Jesus.  It would seem that they were not Greek speaking Jews, but Gentile Greeks.  Notice that they approach Phillip who goes to Andrew.  Phillip and Andrew are not only fromGalileelike these Greeks, but they have Greek names, the only two amongst the disciples.  They are “Hellenized” Jews which is to say that they have adopted Greek culture while remaining Jews.  Thus, it is believed that they took Greek names and most likely are Greek in dress and hair style.

Points of Interest

 

12:23-26            They approach Jesus with the request of a meeting and Jesus answers oddly by going straight to the subject of His impending death.  Using the example of a grain of wheat, Jesus will now teach those around him that life (eternal life) comes from death.  The use of the example of grain is designed to overcome the fact that this concept is entirely counter-intuitive to humans who have not seen the glories of Heaven.  The message is obvious in His case, now that we know the rest of the story, but the implication for us is quite serious:  Any of us who holds on to our lives in this world too selfishly will not inherit eternal life, for we will not follow Jesus at all.  This idea is seen in verse 26 where Jesus equates losing or “hating” this worldly life with serving Him and thus serving God.  Thus, we “lose” our life by serving God rather than serving ourselves.  I cannot over emphasize the importance for this in the Christian life!

12:27-28            These 2 verses reveal that Jesus was troubled by what He was about to face in going to the cross to die a horrible death.  Remember that He is both Divine and human and had the same instincts of survival that we all have.  How would you feel about things if you knew that you were soon going to be taken away for torture and death?  I would be on my way out of town! Jesus has a different response, for this is the very reason He has been brought to this point.  It is interesting that John tells us about this encounter that is begun with the arrival of the Greeks.  Maybe Jesus was tempted to go off with them and take His message to a whole different audience to avoid His date with the cross… In any case, He will not be swayed from His purpose, and God confirms His approval with a rare vocal endorsement.

12:29-33            The people heard the voice and stunned, await some clarification.  Jesus explains that the voice was for their benefit, so they would know that everything is going according to God’s plan.  Then, He demonstrates the point in three amazing ways:

First, the time has come for “judgment on this world”.  Since the Greek word rendered “judgment” is krisis, if we leave it un-translated, the statement would read “Now is the crisis of this world.” A crisis for this world would surely come when Jesus is murdered in front of everyone when all were aware of His total innocence.  This would expose the sin that has the entire world in its grip for all of its stinking rottenness. Second, it is the time when “the prince of this world will be driven out.”  Satan, who has the world in his pocket through their slavery to sin, will lose his grip on those who will follow Jesus, those who will be set free from bondage to sin.  Third, that Jesus will die by being “lifted up” gives His listeners the method by which all of this will be accomplished; He will die on a cross.  The result of this will be that all peoples who look to the cross in faith will see not merely a method of execution, but the means by which they can be saved from sin and death.

12:34-36            We reach a major turning point in Johns’ Gospel at this point.  The crowd has come to discuss national liberation fromRome, and Jesus is talking about death and redemption.  They object and refer to Daniel 7:14 which teaches that the Messiah will be with them forever.  Jesus doesn’t engage.  He does offer one last bit of advice: Darkness is about to descend, their only hope is to believe in Jesus (“trust in the light”) which will enable them to resist the oppressive spiritual darkness, for they will become “sons of light”.  With that, Jesus slips away.  The rest of the Gospel will describe Jesus’ answer to the question they have posed: “Who is this Son of Man?”