Our Own Celestial War
John 13:31-35
Yes we had a Civil War and how tragic it was. Yet what about our own celestial war? Is not humanity, to one way of thinking, in open rebellion against the kingdom of heaven? How many churches, even as we profess that Jesus is Lord, put themselves first, engaging in infighting, backstabbing, and plotting?
More important, we are in possession of all the information we need to win. We know what it takes to win a great victory over the world. Will we follow through with the battle plan, or will fatigue, cowardice, or exhaustion prevent us from achieving this great thing?
Today's scripture is short, but there's a lot there. And it's simple. John the Evangelist knew he had an important message, and he chose to write it in the world language of his day, Koine Greek. Koine Greek was not fancy Greek. It wasn't literary Greek. It was letter writing Greek, receipt writing Greek, business Greek. Greek was everyone's second language in the first Christian century.
John's Greek is very simple and his vocabulary is limited. It seems likely that this was his second language. The result is that he tells the story very clearly so that even folks like me, who need to have very simple instructions in order to operate a television with DVR and satellite, can follow along.
This passage is an integral part of John's account of the Last Supper. The chapter begins, "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" (John 13:1). Love is central to the verse. Jesus is about to demonstrate what love means --first in the upper room, and then on the cross. This love is going to be demonstrated in the face of and despite an agonizing betrayal. Judas is mentioned in the second verse, and again in today's passage when John states, "When he had gone out ..."(vs. 31).
The "he" in Question is Judas. Judas has left the building. Jesus knows that evil will soon have its way. One he has trusted has set out on a terrible task, and everything is about to fall apart..
Yet Jesus says, now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him., God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once (John 13:31-32).
Glorify is a wonderful word, but the glory will come in being raised up for all to see on the terrible cross. Surely the disciples had looked toward a worldly definition of glory, and had thought that God's entry into history would mean driving the Romans to the sea, freeing their land of temporal enemies and establishing the political reign of God's anointing one. But Jesus had demonstrated at this Last Supper what love means with the foot washing. It was customary to bathe before arriving at a dinner, but people walked barefoot or in sandals; so they would arrive at the home of their host with dirty feet.
Generally there were basins for people to wash their own feet. A slave could be forced to do this menial task--and it was considered very demeaning tio do this. But according to biblical scholar John Christopher Thomas, there is no record anywhere in the ancient world of a superior washing the feet of an inferior--nowhere. When Jesus glorified himself with a towel and washed the feet of his disciples before the Lover Feast they were shocked--scandalized. Most of them sat silent, not sure what to say. Only Peter could bring himself to protest. Jesus made it clear that if anyone wanted to be a disciple of his, they needed to be ready to do the same.
This scene shows us that there is nothing love is not willing to do for the beloved. Caregivers know this, as they share times of service and ministry in the most gut-wrenching of circumstances. Love is not just the subject of valentines and little pick cherubic angels with stubby wings. Love is for the tough times, the real times .
Having shown them what love means, Jesus wanted to say something about it as well. After addressing his good friends as "little children" (here it is worth noting that maybe we ought to be insulted to be identified as little children, were it not for the fact that it is as children we are to accept the gospel), Jesus proceeded to explain in very simple language that he was going away. "...I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and I said to the Jews so now I say to you , "Where I am going, you cannot come. (v. 33). If these words puzzled them they did not say. Then Jesus continued on and this we will do so tomorrow.
Questions to Ponder:
Are you in a celestial Civil War?
What great thing are you attempting to accomplish in life?
What does love mean to you and how can you demonstrate it?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
