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1 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. 2 The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined 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 that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

 

Have I mentioned that I love Greek? I will get back to that.

 

During one of my early Dwelling in the Word sessions at church, Pastor Jim pointed out that you whenever you read “Very truly” in the gospels you really need to pay attention to what follows. Amid the Last Supper, we have Jesus washing his disciples' feet. He talks about his serving them and that they should in turn do the same to others. Later in this chapter, Jesus brings this lesson to completeness with his new commandment to love one another as He has loved us.

 

But what does Jesus point to as so very important: “slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”. Essentially, Jesus is reminding us that we are all in this together. We are all children of the same God, equally created and equally loved. We should, in honor of this fact, treat each other in all things as equals. We may have different roles and responsibilities. We may be gifted in some areas, but we truly are blessed and bless the world when we come at our relationships with others as God looks upon us.

 

Oh, yeah, back to that Greek thing. If you look a translation of the words ‘Very truly’ it will be aptly listed as “I tell you in solemn truth”. The Greek for this mouthful: amen amen. Literally, the Greek use the Hebrew word that ends all prayers to signify these important things to follow.

 

Note: Amen in Hebrew can be translated as ‘so be it’.

 

Servant Lord, soften my heart and guide my eyes so that I may see my neighbors as you do. Amen, Amen!

 

 

Chad Ryberg Cryberg@livinglord.org

 

Prayer Concern: For respite in the storm.