WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:03.600 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from my Lord and Savior 2 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:04.100 Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:04.100 --> 00:00:09.700 Amen. The text is the Gospel of John these verses particularly 4 00:00:09.700 --> 00:00:11.500 starting at verse 13. 5 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:15.700 You call me teacher and Lord and you are right for so I am. If then 6 00:00:15.700 --> 00:00:19.700 your Lord and teacher if I have washed your feet, you also ought to 7 00:00:19.700 --> 00:00:24.300 wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you 8 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:27.600 should do just as I've done to you. Truly, truly 9 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.500 I say to you a servant is not greater than his master nor a messenger 10 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:33.700 greater than the one who sent him if you know these things blessed are 11 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:35.800 you if you do them. 12 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:42.100 Dear friends in Christ my wife one of her favorite activities is and I 13 00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:44.300 know there's probably a difference between these 14 00:00:44.300 --> 00:00:46.800 I don't know which one it is, but counted cross stitch or needlepoint. 15 00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:50.100 I don't know since I'm talking to a lot of guys particular if you know 16 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:55.200 what I'm talking about, but cross stitching and cross stitching is is 17 00:00:55.200 --> 00:01:00.700 done with some seriously intricate needlework that recreates at least 18 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:04.400 the ones my wife does recreates detail outdoor scenes or other art 19 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.400 pictures with a needle. And thread and you're probably not surprised to 20 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.700 know that I've never done a needlepoint like that. 21 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:17.800 But I've watched how it's done and it is important that you have and 22 00:01:17.800 --> 00:01:22.900 use a pattern or an outline that someone has to design and then 23 00:01:22.900 --> 00:01:26.800 someone has to code it. And the artist who's doing the work has to see 24 00:01:26.800 --> 00:01:31.300 which colored threads go where and follow it very carefully stitch by 25 00:01:31.300 --> 00:01:31.500 stitch. 26 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:32.700 It's really time-consuming 27 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:37.100 laborious is a strain on the eyes, but as the work develops, there's a 28 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.100 going sense of excitement as the picture comes alive the growing sense 29 00:01:41.100 --> 00:01:43.200 of anticipation for the complete work. 30 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.900 And finally it's framed ready to be hung on the wall as an object of 31 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:52.800 beauty and a symbol of love to be admired and remembered. And I thought 32 00:01:52.800 --> 00:01:57.300 about that counted cross stitch in those patterns when reading Jesus 33 00:01:57.300 --> 00:02:00.500 in verse 15 talking about his examples of his followers. 34 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:05.500 He says he gave his followers an example to follow which could also be 35 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:11.900 translated a pattern to follow, a pattern to copy. The word he uses in 36 00:02:11.900 --> 00:02:16.000 the ancient world is the picture showing how something was done a 37 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.800 tracing or a map that somebody else would need to follow and it would 38 00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:23.100 lead somewhere that you had to fill in the details yourself and that 39 00:02:23.100 --> 00:02:26.800 pattern gives us a difficult task. 40 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:30.600 It gives his followers a difficult task requiring a strain not only on 41 00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:34.800 the eyes and hard work but also on the nerves on the will on the 42 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.000 heart on the energy to follow this pattern. 43 00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:42.800 That Jesus has given and we shouldn't be surprised how many of us fail 44 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:43.300 to get it 45 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:43.500 right. 46 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:47.800 And I've seen my wife take a lot of stitches out and redo it too. And 47 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:52.000 even more so I'll following Jesus pattern Jesus having washed his 48 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.600 disciples feet declares that he has established a pattern for them and 49 00:02:56.600 --> 00:02:58.500 for us to follow. 50 00:02:59.600 --> 00:03:01.500 And why is this so hard? 51 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:06.200 Why does he have to go on in the verses following to insist that the 52 00:03:06.200 --> 00:03:07.800 slave is not greater than the master. 53 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:13.100 The person who is sent is not greater than the person who sent him. 54 00:03:13.100 --> 00:03:17.200 It's because we are proud. 55 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:23.900 And you ladies and gentlemen as future servant leaders in Christ Church 56 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:29.500 will struggle against this pride. As a pastor 57 00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:34.500 I've been part of a ceremony where the congregation leader said 58 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:38.100 this is what we do this time every year we get together in the pastor 59 00:03:38.100 --> 00:03:43.400 washes feet. And you're the pastor so you get to wash feet. And I'm 60 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:46.900 not saying there's anything wrong with that I was right, but because 61 00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:50.300 it is obviously it's a deeply intimate and moving thing to do. 62 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:52.900 There's a lot of symbolism there and certainly there's the symbolism 63 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:55.100 of the text here, but 64 00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:00.500 consider and this is what was crossing my mind in this in this 65 00:04:00.500 --> 00:04:00.800 process. 66 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:06.700 When Jesus did this Jesus was doing it because it is what a slave 67 00:04:06.700 --> 00:04:11.500 would do and you could say that maybe nobody else wanted to do it. 68 00:04:11.500 --> 00:04:13.100 Everybody thought they were above it. 69 00:04:13.100 --> 00:04:16.000 We don't really know for sure cuz that details not given but Jesus did 70 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.000 it because it's what normally a slave would do it. But when we do it 71 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.000 or I let me just say in the ceremony that I was involved in when I did 72 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.600 it I was doing it because Jesus did it. Which in one sense make sense 73 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.400 because it's a pattern to follow. But what I saw and experienced as the 74 00:04:31.400 --> 00:04:35.500 leader of a congregation copying Jesus doing this in this strange kind 75 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:39.300 of way that I still wrestle with to this day was that I found that my 76 00:04:39.300 --> 00:04:42.900 own authority and status was enhanced by doing this. Like I was really 77 00:04:42.900 --> 00:04:47.500 a great servant leader and pastor because I washed these people's feet and 78 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:49.100 I don't think that was what was intended. 79 00:04:49.900 --> 00:04:54.500 But there it is and so there's something there but to be honest 80 00:04:56.200 --> 00:04:58.800 back to washing feet is not really what we're talking about 81 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:04.800 is it that's not what the point was right. The critical thing that I 82 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:05.000 found 83 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:10.200 and I think it applies to all leaders as whether that same leader is 84 00:05:10.200 --> 00:05:13.700 prepared to get up in the middle of the night and go sit beside the 85 00:05:13.700 --> 00:05:18.900 bed of an old frail frightened man who is dying all alone. 86 00:05:18.900 --> 00:05:22.700 And he needs the hope of the gospel and you are there to speak it and 87 00:05:22.700 --> 00:05:28.000 you're not sleeping because you're there to speak that hope. The test 88 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.000 that matters is whether that same leader is ready without a word of 89 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:35.000 either complaint or a boasting to stay behind after the meeting and 90 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.500 clean up or take out the trash. Of course 91 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:40.000 it's important that everybody in your congregation do that and I hope 92 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.000 that you foster that sort of environment in the congregations that you 93 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:50.100 go to. But the truly Christ-like leader is known by the spontaneity 94 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:55.000 with which he or she does the little annoying messy things the things 95 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.300 which in the ancient world the slave would do. 96 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:01.800 The things which in our world we secretly hope we don't have to do. The 97 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:02.700 small jobs 98 00:06:04.200 --> 00:06:08.100 and the things that present themselves. That we need to learn this 99 00:06:08.100 --> 00:06:13.200 again and again because we're so easily tempted to proclaim Jesus as 100 00:06:13.200 --> 00:06:13.300 Lord. 101 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:18.700 When what we mean is that we his servants are rulers of this or that 102 00:06:18.700 --> 00:06:22.400 small piece of turf in his kingdom and we can easily create little 103 00:06:22.400 --> 00:06:26.700 spheres of influence and a power and enjoy exercising our power in 104 00:06:26.700 --> 00:06:30.200 those. And we talked about the kingdom of God and but we have the hope 105 00:06:30.200 --> 00:06:34.600 that some of that kingly glory will rub off on us that is the human 106 00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:35.100 experience. 107 00:06:35.100 --> 00:06:38.700 And we draw attention to the promises about God's people in Christ being 108 00:06:38.700 --> 00:06:43.000 Kings and Priests in order that we can Lord it over others if we just 109 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:47.200 let ourselves go unchecked. And we quietly forget about the servant part. 110 00:06:47.200 --> 00:06:50.400 The annoying small jobs the things which 111 00:06:51.700 --> 00:06:54.400 the things which Jesus would have done. 112 00:06:55.400 --> 00:06:59.200 And of course there are endless possibilities for this to go off the 113 00:06:59.200 --> 00:07:00.000 rails as well. 114 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.800 We can so easily use the doing of menial tasks themselves as a way 115 00:07:06.400 --> 00:07:10.200 things that we ask pastors are those in church leadership are the only 116 00:07:10.200 --> 00:07:11.800 ones who can fulfill. We can 117 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.600 has a way of showing how humble we are so that we can be proud of 118 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:17.600 being humble. 119 00:07:19.900 --> 00:07:23.600 The point is that for us as for Jesus 120 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.800 and what Jesus was saying to his followers as we should be looking 121 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:28.600 away from ourselves. 122 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:34.800 We should be looking at the world which we are called to serve and 123 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:39.000 which were supposed to be serving. Where the world's needs and our 124 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.100 callings meet 125 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:44.600 that's where we are to be focused outward ready to take on insignificant 126 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:49.000 roles if that's what God wants. Or to be publicly visible if that's 127 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:52.100 our calling to do something that is quite glorious if that's what the 128 00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:56.400 Lord is calling us what to do stuff behind the scenes. The point is and 129 00:07:56.400 --> 00:07:59.500 as with Jesus, the picture of foot-washing is meant to serve not only 130 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:03.100 as a picture of all sorts of the menial of task that we may be asked 131 00:08:03.100 --> 00:08:05.100 to perform without drawing attention to them. 132 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:09.600 It also points towards a much larger challenge that we can that we 133 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.800 take up as well the challenge that Jesus issued to Peter in the last 134 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:16.600 chapter of John the challenge to follow Jesus all the way to the Cross. 135 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.700 To lay down life itself in the service of God and the world 136 00:08:20.700 --> 00:08:24.500 He came to save if that's what we're called to do. A servant is not 137 00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:25.000 greater 138 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.700 then his Master nor the one who is sent then the one who sent him. The 139 00:08:28.700 --> 00:08:32.900 pattern that Jesus shows is that the servant of God takes up whatever 140 00:08:32.900 --> 00:08:38.500 task is called for. Great or small that is the task that lies before 141 00:08:38.500 --> 00:08:42.900 you folks as well to take up those tasks without complaint or pride 142 00:08:42.900 --> 00:08:48.100 because we follow Jesus who washed not only our feet not our hands and 143 00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:53.000 our head. But our whole bodies in holy baptism and he 144 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:54.200 feeds us in the Lord's supper 145 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:58.300 and with the word of God that we may point the world to Jesus their 146 00:08:58.300 --> 00:09:03.900 greatest need and the greatest gift that we can give them. And relying 147 00:09:03.900 --> 00:09:08.600 on God's gifts may our lives point to him in a way may be similar to 148 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:15.400 those needle points that are objects of beauty and show the love of 149 00:09:15.400 --> 00:09:19.500 love incarnate Jesus himself. For I have given you an example or 150 00:09:19.500 --> 00:09:24.100 pattern that you should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly I 151 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:24.900 say to you a servant 152 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.500 is not greater than his master nor is the messenger greater than the 153 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:29.200 one who sent him. 154 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:33.100 And I can tell you brothers and sisters from my own experience 155 00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:38.100 verse 17, if you know these things blessed are you if you do them and 156 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.300 I hope you get to do them. In Jesus name. Amen. 157 00:09:40.300 --> 00:09:45.100 I'm in the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your 158 00:09:45.100 --> 00:09:46.400 hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.