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Jesus reclined at the table after he had finished washing their feet and had put his robe back on. He said, “Do you know what I was doing for you? You say that I am your Lord and your teacher. It is right that you say this, because I am. So if I, your Lord and teacher wash your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example of how you should treat each other.”
JN 13:12-15
Becoming sober is like
doing surgery
on yourself.
Everything hurts,
because the things that you used
to run away
from the pain
are the very things
you know
you can’t do
anymore.
So you have to sit down
with yourself
and dig deep
and uncover
all the pain
that you ran away from,
no matter how long ago,
no matter how it happened,
with no anesthesia.
Nobody can do this work for you.
Nobody gives you the tools.
You can watch others
with their struggles
and pick up an idea or three
of what might work for you,
but you’ll only know what works
when you try.
It might work that week,
but not next year.
You’re a different person then.
When we drink or smoke
or do drugs or overeat or
blame others or make excuses
we put up walls
around ourselves
so we don’t have to feel.
We become divorced
from our bodies,
from our lives.
We become immune
to the day to day feelings
of being alive.
Being sober
isn’t just about
stopping using
whatever it was that you used
as a shield,
as a crutch,
as anesthesia.
Being sober isn’t about
forgetting
the past or
the pain either.
Being sober is about
being alive,
and facing your past
and present reality
with courage
and love.
Before the Passover festival began, Jesus knew that it was now the time when he was to leave this world and return to God. He loved the people who had been sent to him and stayed with them to the end.
The Devil put the thought to betray Jesus into the heart of Simon Iscariot’s son Judas before the Passover meal began.
Jesus knew that he had received everything he had from God, that God had sent him, and that he was going to return to God. Therefore, he got up from the table, put his robe aside, and tied a towel around himself. He then put water into a basin and started to wash his disciple’s feet and dry them with the towel that was tied around him
When he got to Simon Peter, he was asked “Lord, why do you want to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but you will later.”
“You shouldn’t ever be the one to wash my feet!” Peter exclaimed.
“If I don’t wash you, then you have no right to say you are my disciple.” Jesus countered.
“Then wash my hands and head too!” Peter said.
Jesus replied “If you’ve bathed, you only have to wash your feet to become clean. You are clean, but not everyone is.” Jesus said that not everyone was clean because he knew who was going to betray him.
JN 13:1-11
Sometimes you have to work to be healed. Sometimes it isn’t instant. Let us look at two stories – one from the Hebrew Bible, and one from the Gospels.
In John 9:1-7 we read about a man who was blind from birth. Jesus doesn’t just touch him or ask him if he believes that Jesus can heal him, like with other healings.
— As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples questioned Him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. 4 We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After He said these things He spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” He told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.
Jesus smeared mud made from nearby dirt and his own spit on the man’s eyes, and then the man has to go away to a specific pool to wash. One must assume that he had to have help to get to that pool because he was still blind at this point. He doesn’t question what he has to do, he just does it.
Then in the Hebrew Bible, we have this story. This is in 2 Kings 5:1-14
Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a brave warrior, but he had a skin disease. 2 Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.5 Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.” So he went and took with him 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 changes of clothes. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read: When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease. 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Think it over and you will see that he is only picking a fight with me.” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel tore his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and will wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.
Naaman was indignant that he wasn’t going to be healed the way he expected. He wanted a show. He thought he knew more about how to be a prophet of God than Elisha did!
How many times do we think we know how God is going to work? How many times do we pass over the true healing that only God can provide because it seems too simple, too easy?
We want to be healed of our addictions, but we aren’t willing to do the work involved in quitting. We want to be free of unhealthy relationships, but we aren’t willing to leave. We want so much, and God offers the way out freely, and we just don’t take it because it seems like it should be either easier or harder. But when God shows us the way out, we have to get up and walk out the door, and then keep walking. God does part of the work, and we have to do the rest.
God’s ways aren’t our ways, and we always forget that. This is why it is so helpful to have the Scriptures to tell us what to expect. They are our road map for finding God here in the wilderness of our lives.
(All translations are HCSB)
Jesus shouted “If you believe in me, you really believe in the One who sent me, and if you see me, you really see the One who sent me. I am here to be a light for the world, so that everyone who follows me will no longer be in darkness. I don’t judge anyone who hears my message and doesn’t follow it. I have come to save the world – not to judge it. Anyone who rejects me and my message is judged at the last day by my message. I don’t speak for myself. The One who sent me tells me what to say. I know that the Father’s words lead to eternal life, so I share the Father’s message exactly as I have received it.”
JN 12:44-50
They still didn’t believe in him, even though he performed many miracles in front of them. However, this fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said “Lord, who has believed what we have said? And who has witnessed the strength of the Lord?”
Isaiah explained why they were unable to believe when he said “He has closed their eyes and their hearts, so they could not see or understand, otherwise they would turn to me and be healed.” Isaiah said this when he saw His glory.
In spite of this, many people did believe that Jesus was the Messiah, even including some of the rulers. However they didn’t publicly admit this because the Pharisees had threatened to ban people from the synagogue if they did. They loved to get praise from men rather than getting glory from God.
JN 12:37-43
Some Greeks had come to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover festival. They went to Philip, who was from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested to see Jesus.
Philip told Andrew and they then went together to tell Jesus. Jesus told them “It is now time for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, unless a kernel of wheat is put into the ground and dies to its nature, it remains just a kernel of wheat. But if it dies to its nature, it produces a large crop. Anyone who loves his life will lose it, and anyone who hates his earthly life will have the same life eternally. To be my servant is to follow me. My servant is wherever I am. If you serve me, you will be honored by my Father. Now I am troubled in my soul. Should I ask the Father to rescue me from what is coming? But what is coming is why I’m here. Father, may your name be glorified!”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying “I have already glorified it, and I will give glory to it again!”
Some in the crowd thought they heard thunder, while others said “An angel just spoke to him!”
Jesus said “That voice was for your benefit, not mine. This is now the time when the world will be judged. This is now the time when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be overthrown. As for me, I will draw all people to me when I am raised up.”
The crowd replied “The Law says that the Messiah will never leave. So why do you say that the Son of Man must be raised up? Who is the Son of Man?”
“The light will soon leave you,” Jesus answered. “You should walk while the light is still here so you don’t get caught in darkness. Anyone who walks in darkness gets lost. Believe in the light while you still have it so you can become children of light.”
After saying this, Jesus retreated and hid from the crowd.
JN 12:20-34
A large number of people in the crowd learned that Jesus was present. They had come not only to see Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, the man that Jesus had brought back to life. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well. This was because many Jews began to stop following the Jewish leaders and believed in Jesus after seeing Lazarus alive.
JN 12:9-11
The Festival of Passover was approaching, so many people traveled from the countryside up to Jerusalem beforehand to purify themselves. They were hoping to see Jesus. While they were standing in the Temple complex they asked each other “Do you think he’ll come to the Festival or not?” The Pharisees and the chief priests had ordered anyone who knew where Jesus was to tell them, because they wanted to have him arrested.
JN 11:55-57
Most of us think of Jesus’ disciple Thomas as “Doubting” Thomas. His nickname in the Gospels is “Twin”, but he gets the nickname we know him by through his actions towards the end of the Gospels. He’s the one who didn’t believe it when the other disciples were saying that Jesus had resurrected. He had to see him and touch his wounds for himself.
JN 20:24-29 (HCSB)
24 But one of the Twelve, Thomas (called “Twin”), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!”But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!” 26 After eight days His disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever, but a believer.” 28 Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!”29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”
He’s usually seen in a less than favorable light because of his doubt. Jesus said that he would come back, and he did. The other disciples had no reason to lie to Thomas. Thomas has seen Jesus do some pretty amazing miracles before, so he has no reason to doubt. Surely he could accept their testimony?
Yet remember that the disciples didn’t believe Mary Magdalene and the other women when they saw Jesus. They had to see him for themselves. They weren’t called ‘Doubting” apostles.
Note that Jesus didn’t make fun of Thomas, but in fact accommodated his wishes. He offered himself as proof and didn’t try to hide anything.
Very little is written about Thomas, but his strength stands out in this verse that comes several chapters before. Jesus has been called to the village of Bethany, which is just a few miles away from Jerusalem. He knows that this is very dangerous because the Jewish leaders want to arrest him and put him to death. Yet, his friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha is near death. Not only does he have a chance to save him, but also to prove to his disciples that he is who he says he is. He wants to go, but the majority of the disciples are opposed to it, thinking it is too dangerous.
Yet Thomas says something amazing in JN 11:16 (HCSB)
16 Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go so that we may die with Him.”
Instead of “Doubting” Thomas, perhaps he should be called “Brave” Thomas. He is willing to risk being killed, just for associating with Jesus. That is a faithful disciple!
betsybeadhead 
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