Jim Gill April 5, 2007
“Out of this world”
John 13:1-15
Hear the word of God from John 13:1-5
On July 20, 1969, eight days before my 18th birthday, the space rocket Apollo 11 became the first manned vehicle to land on the surface of the moon. It was an event that inspired awe all around the world. The first of the three astronauts to walk on the surface of the moon was who? [Neil Armstrong] Do you remember the name of the second man, after Armstrong? It was on that same mission and the astronaut’s name was Buzz Aldrin.
After landing on the moon, Aldrin radioed earth with these words: “I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way.” Then, when he journeyed out of the space module onto the moon’s surface, he did something quite significant. He took out a small home Communion kit (hold mine up) and became the first person to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion on the surface of the moon. This is to say that the event we celebrate this night is the only religious rite in all the world that has been celebrated on the surface of the moon. (I guess he would have to call it an “Away from Home Communion Kit.” So far, no one has made the moon their home.)
Here’s an interesting sidebar. Aldrin kept his intent to celebrate Holy Communion on the moon a secret, even from his fellow astronauts. Why? Because earlier someone filed a lawsuit regarding the reading of Genesis 1 by the astronauts on Apollo 8 as they circled the earth on Christmas Eve a few years earlier. (1)
It is nice to know, isn’t it, that the Lord’s Supper has been celebrated by a man who went out of this world to do so. It’s much more critical to know that we have this rite to celebrate because God came from out of this world INTO this world to institute the service of Holy Communion we celebrate tonight. The one who was in on creating the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets and us has called us together tonight to remember him through this sacrament. He was out of this world, but he came into this world and is even here among us in this room.
John tells us that it was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and return to his Father in heaven. The evening meal was being served, and Judas Iscariot was already plotting to betray him. According to John, Jesus wanted his disciples to know just how much he loved them, so before we get to the story of the bread and the wine, we have one of the most shocking scenes in human history. The Son of God got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. And he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Can you get your mind around that event? Through the eyes of faith we see Jesus as the very incarnation of God, God made human flesh, and what does this God do? God washes the feet of mortal men. Imagine that happening in any other religion.
There are those who believe religion is merely a human construct, who believe that humanity made up religious belief to help deal with the uncertainties of life. Primitive humanity sacrificed to gods as a way to increase crops or to assure fertility. These character traits of these gods were more like petty tyrants who demanded that the people who served them sacrificed their best and their dearest.
But Jesus came and set religion on its head. It is not people who do obeisance to God, who approach Him with downcast eyes and wash his feet with their contriteness. No, in Jesus, it is God who washes our feet.
Prior to Christ coming, people offered sacrifices to their gods, but in Jesus coming, it is God who offers His Son as a sacrifice for humanity.
I know you have heard that all your life, but have you ever accepted in your heart the dimensions of such an idea? The concept is absolutely staggering. But here is Christ Jesus, whom the world has for so long awaited, and he is kneeling there washing the dirt off the feet of his disciples.
“Since people in Jesus’ day walked either barefoot or in sandals, their feet were not protected from the dirt as they progressed along roads which were essentially rough tracks, where rubbish fell unhindered. These roads were also traveled by animals, whose recent presence was always visible from the droppings which they left. In towns, where there was no rubbish collection, people swept out their homes into the street. Not only dust but any household rubbish might be cleared out, so it would be hard to prevent your feet becoming very dirty as you walked around.” (2)
This was the sort of thing Jesus was dealing with as he washed the disciples’ feet. We can understand disciples washing their Master’s feet, but whoever heard of the Master performing this rite?
Read John 13:6-11
I looked for a Bible translation that reads, ‘Jesus washed all the disciples’ feet except the feet of Judas,’ but I couldn’t find one.
“What a passionate moment when Jesus silently lifts the feet of his betrayer and washes them in the basin! Within hours the feet of Judas, cleansed by the kindness of the one he will betray, will stand in Caiaphas’s court.
“Behold the gift Jesus gives his followers! By morning they will bury their heads in shame and look down at their feet in disgust. And when they do, he wants them to remember how his knees knelt before them and he washed their feet. ‘You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later’ (John 13:7).
“Remarkable. He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it.” (3)
Does that move you as it does me? Jesus’ washes the feet of the man who will betray him as well as the one who will deny him. How like our Lord! It’s one thing to teach about loving your enemy and praying for those who despitefully use you. It’s another to kneel down before them and to wash animal waste off their feet.
Some of you know my mom. Some of you know about my mom. All my teenage years she reported that she was a “borderline” diabetic. In recent years she crossed the border and became one. Five Christmases ago she had to have surgery to remove her left leg below the knee. She has a great sense of humor about it though. When she came out of the operating room she said, “Well, this will cut my shaving time in half.”
In my good natured kidding of her, I have said that of the people I know she is the one best qualified to participate in a foot washing service, because she only has one.
The Church of the Nazarene views foot washing (or feet washing) as a sacrament. From time to time I have participated in such a ceremony, not because my feet were dirty because most of the time I wear socks and shoes. I participated as a way of remembering and honoring the example Jesus set that night of serving his disciples. Jesus stooped to conquer. Jesus humbled himself. It would be the president of the seminary I attended stooping to wash my feet in 1977 on the night before I graduated from my three years of seminary.
When I attended the Houston Area Celebration #2 as a “Dad” where my daughter Abbey was the moderator I was humbled beyond measure. As the moderator of a Celebration, one of Abbey’s tasks was to wash the feet of the entire camp, fellow students, staff and parents, including mine.
Feet washing was a necessity in Jesus’ culture. In our culture I can think of something that might be the equivalent. Some Servant Evangelism teams go to businesses and offer to clean their rest rooms for free as a service. I know of a few in Pearland that could use a visit or two.
What matters more than what is cleaned is the attitude that the person has when doing the cleaning. What Jesus was advocating was none other than a new heart for those who follow him, a heart of love and compassion and service.
That’s he meant in verses 31-35 when he said, (read verses)
We are familiar with the Old Commandments. They had to do with how to honor God and others, but did you ever notice that the word love does not appear in the Old commandments. I had to look to make sure. Jesus came to share a New Commandment, one that came from out of this world. This is our new commandment to love one another as we have been loved by him until he comes to take us even farther than Buzz Aldrin went. When he comes to take us…out of this world.
Let’s pray. Thank you Lord for such a vivid picture of your servant’s heart. Give us the heart to follow your example, to not only love those who love us back, but to love those who betray us, who deny us, who act as it they are our enemies. Teach us to love, to serve, to share, to care, to obey your New Commandment.
