based on the Love God Greatly Study, Lent – A Season of Drawing Close to God / w6d2
THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)
Scripture: John chapter 13 / SOAP: John 13:34-35
34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 NET
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure if I was in the position of knowing my death was imminently soon that I would be getting up from the table to wash the dirty feet of others. However, this is exactly what Jesus did. Not only did He realize His death was near but He had inside information that He would be betrayed by one of His twelve disciples – but there Jesus was – removing His outer clothing and tying a towel around Himself, and then grabbing a basin of water He literally began to wash the feet of His disciples – and not just to wash them but to dry them with the towel He had tied around Himself. Their Lord and teacher stooped to the lowly position of a servant shortly before His death in order to show these disciples how they were to treat one another – more specifically, as He points out in verse thirty-four, how they were to love one another, “Just as he had loved them.”
Of all the things Jesus could have left them with – it was an instruction to love as He had loved them. Love would be the sign of a True Disciple of Jesus.
Me from the Inside-Out 🦋
Jesus could have spent the bulk of His time venting or teaching about the betrayal – how hurtful and wrong it was to Him and His ministry, but instead His focus remained on the way to love. The importance of surrendering to the task of a servant would be a crucial part of their witness when He was gone. For, as He explained to the disciples then – by living and loving in this way – others would identify them as the true disciples of Jesus and this would be key to their ministry of making more disciples that lived and loved like Jesus.
Reflection From the Journey
Do others know that You are a disciple of Jesus? Is it your intent for others to know
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY
Father, help us to live and love like Jesus – so that others will see and know that we belong to Him. Use us as instruments of Your Gospel so that more and more disciples will be born. You are not slow or forgetful in Your return but rather You are patient and full of mercy longing for as many people as possible to come to repentance and to place their trust in Christ. The additional time is an opportunity for more to be saved. May we faithfully work at this task in word and deed. Help us to work well while we wait for Your long awaited and greatly anticipated return. – In and for the glory of Father, Son, and Spirit – Amen
Me From the Inside Out 