Is Jesus just concerned about washing one another’s feet?

 2 Jun 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

2 Chronicles 7

2 Chronicles 8

2 Chronicles 9

John 13:1-17


For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:15). 


Is Jesus just concerned about washing one another’s feet?


The slave in a home had the responsibility to wash the guests’ feet. Jesus takes upon Himself this role. Paul describes His mindset as follows: “But [He] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant” (Philippians 2:7). Jesus seems to have a broader application than just washing one another’s feet. He is about to die for their sins and reminds them about the world’s hatred (John 15:18-19). Also, Jesus is aware of their bickering concerning who will be the greatest (Luke 22:24). He redirects them by sharing, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus desires each disciple to be willing to die for the other. 


Employment Point: Follow Jesus by willingly laying down your life for the brethren.

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Reflections

“the Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • the Lord hears Solomon as He hears us. Each and every word that was spoken or even unspoken and He will bless all His children and all who follow His commands and are right before God


““But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • all across the bible, the Lord had reminded us not to turn away or go serve other gods or worship them. In a way, I believe we have the responsibility to make sure this is done and adhered to. 


““No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.””John‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • the washing of feet is usually done by the lowest of all servants but Jesus used His clothing to dry His disciples’ feet. Just like how He gave up His life and His blood to serve all mankind. 
  • I can imagine what kind of humility that takes. Even for us to wipe our own feet, we wanted a clean piece of cloth, not something dirty because we wanted to feel clean. But Jesus’s real washing came when we were all cleansed by His blood. Where we were all washed clean of all our sins and made new, once more. One won’t even dare to clean one’s feet on another person’s garments. Yet Jesus is doing exactly that. Shocking it must have been for His disciples and for their most esteemed teacher to be doing a job deemed to be lowly.
  • It reminds me somewhat, to not be afraid of doing the menial and small tasks. Every single task, either big or small counts and we are carry out our tasks with integrity and total obedience, so that our Father in heaven can be glorified.


“Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”John‬ ‭13‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • The message from Jesus, stressed about the importance of having a servant heart. Jesus as their Lord and master and teacher, has told them explicitly what they must do. So if Him, as a teacher and rabbi can do this, anyone can do it and it is important that they do.


Have we truly consider the cost of following Jesus? Would we be willing to lay down our life for our brethren? We are taught to be a giving and loving person in a world that lives differently. We as children of God are called to be the light of the world. Truly then, we ought to live like one but are we like one?

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Are You Obsessed by Something?

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

June 02


Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12


Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.


If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.


“He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.


2 Chronicles 17-18; John 13:1-20


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.

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Reflections

In the devotional above, the main thing that stood out was the following highlighted in bold.

“To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.”


But how do we exactly get to be obsessed by God? It sounds like an abstract concept actually. But read a little deeper, we realised that Oswald wanted us to build our life on Jesus. He wanted us to live, breathe and eat Jesus. To be truly one with Him so that we understand what cruelty, worldly affairs look like and yet not be caught in that turmoil of mess.


If we are one with the Lord, we will not fear because we know He is with us. We know He hears us and He protects us. Therefore there is no need for us to worry.


Like my recent to trip to China. My friend left her phone on the bus and thanks be to God, another passenger found it and handed it over to the driver and we managed to retrieved it. A big lesson for my friend especially, since she does have the tendency to put her stuff everywhere and forgot where she placed it or end up with a hard time looking for it. She was even contemplating of making a police report already. But truly praise the Lord for His protection 


Let’s pray:

Father, we are grateful to be able to call You Abba Father. To have You, the Almighty Lord taking care of us and our every needs and wants. Thank You for the blessings as well as the testings so that we learn and grow to be more reliant on You. All praise and thanks be to You Father God. In Jesus’s most precious name we ask and pray. Amen 🙏🏻 

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