03/15 – John 13:1-17 – Red Letter Challenge: Serving

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 11:17-20,23-25

A merciful person helps himself, but a cruel person hurts himself. A wicked person earns dishonest wages, but whoever spreads righteousness earns honest pay. As righteousness leads to life, so whoever pursues evil finds his own death. Devious people are disgusting to the Lord, but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent. Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the descendants of righteous people will escape. The desire of righteous people ends only in good, but the hope of wicked people ends only in fury. One person spends freely and yet grows richer, while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer. A generous person will be made rich, and whoever satisfies others will himself be satisfied.

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

You were dead because of your failures and sins. You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This ruler continues to work in people who refuse to obey God. All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So because of our nature we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.

God, however, is rich in mercy because of his great love for us. We were dead because of our failures, but he made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness that saved you.) God has brought us back to life together with Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with him. He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come.

God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It is not the result of anything you have done, so no one can brag about it. God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

Holy Gospel Reading: John 13:1-17

Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. Jesus loved his own who were in the world and he loved them to the end. While supper was taking place the devil had already put the idea of betraying Jesus into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. The Father had put everything in Jesus’ control. Jesus knew that. He also knew that he had come from God and was going back to God.

So he got up from the table, removed his outer clothes, took a towel, and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that he had tied around his waist.

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered Peter, “You don’t know now what I’m doing. You will understand later.”

Peter told Jesus, “You will never wash my feet.”

Jesus replied to Peter, “If I don’t wash you, you don’t belong to me.”

Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t wash only my feet. Wash my hands and my head too!”

Jesus told Peter, “People who have washed are completely clean. They need to have only their feet washed. All of you, except for one, are clean.” (Jesus knew who was going to betray him. That’s why he said, “All of you, except for one, are clean.”)

After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothes, he took his place at the table again. Then he asked his disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right to do so because that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet you must wash each other’s feet. I’ve given you an example that you should follow.

I can guarantee this truth: servants are not superior to their masters, and messengers are not superior to the people who send them. If you understand all of this you are blessed whenever you follow my example.