By Rev. Dr. Rick Chesher
I have always been profoundly affected by something we find Yashua (Jesus) doing in the Book of John. This takes place in chapter 13 which is happening at the time of Passover, or as it has been named “The Last Supper”. This supper was amazing in its self and has so much to talk about, but something Yashua does is almost beyond my comprehension.
We find this event taking place in verses 1-5 in the thirteenth chapter of John. The Passover supper is over and Yashua gets up from the table, tied a towel to Himself, pours a basin of water and begins washing the feet of His disciples. I would like to remind you, this is just before He was arrested and put to death, and He knew this was going to take place.
Now I can’t speak for you, but if this were me, I would be going over a plan with my disciples to create a diversion of some kind to I could get out of there. I would be sweating bullets about the fate I was facing. I would not have been thinking about those around me.
His concern was for His disciples, not Himself. I don’t know too many people that are that selfless, that at the moment before He was to be arrested and killed He was concerned for those around Him. In my mind that is nothing short of amazing, and truthfully beyond most human relationships we encounter in this life.
Now this is an important passage and act because that is exactly what He is calling us to do, to lay our life down for one another. It says so in 1 John 3:16, and in fact Scripture tells us that the example Yashua gave us by laying His life down for us is the measurement of true love. John said, “This is how we have come to know love: He laid His life down for us.” So we know someone loves us by whether they lay their life down for us, not just physically through their living as well.
John’s calling in the next part of this verses ties out lives, or calls us to live our lives in that manner with those around us. He says, “We should also lay our lives down for our brothers.” We are being called to true love with one another, but we must examine this carefully. What is it we are being called to? It really comes down to this we are called to be in relationships with each other that are selfless. We are being called to give ourselves, not see what we can benefit from others, but instead being a benefit to them. I think we can all see the amazing act He did, and we can see the amazing life we are called to. Look at the ones you re around this week, and look for selfless acts we can give to each other.