Wednesday 21 Mar 2012

Wednesday Reading: John 13:1-17

Key Verse: John 13:17
17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Devotion:
Besides going to the cross for us all, I think this is one of those moments in Christ’s life that I like to think of or relate to. The love that He showed to the disciples, even to the one He knew would betray Him, was laid out before them so that they could recognise it and accept it. How every one of the disciples reacted to this display of love is not recorded, but we are given a glimpse of Simon Peter’s reaction.

Simon Peter did not want to accept that Christ could act like a servant to them because He wanted his Master to be lifted up. But once Jesus had said that they would not have any part of Him unless they were washed, he wanted his whole body to be washed instead of just his feet. Jesus was not trying to show how much He loved them at this stage but simply to give them insight into how love is shown to others. Love is something that should not have boundaries or limits on servitude; if you love someone then you should be willing to do anything righteous for them. Note that I did add righteous in there!

So many people nowadays expect people to do ‘anything’ for them if they love them. Yes we can say that love should be without limits, but if we start to ask something from someone that they should not accept, something that you know they should not accept, then are we not being spiteful in asking that of them in the first place? Demanding something from someone when you know they should not go there is certainly not, in my books, showing love to them. Christ was willing to do this to the disciples to show them that they should be willing to go out and be servants to others in Christian love.

Loving someone means that you should be willing to let go of your pride, put aside your haughtiness, break down boundaries and show the other person that you are willing to be there for them as long as Christ is going to allow it to be so. Love should not be measured by being there for someone ‘no matter what’ but rather by ‘what God should allow’. I say what God should allow and not what He will allow because we are not automatons – we have free will. If we choose to do wrong, we have that choice. It does not mean it is right; we just do have that choice. Christ chose to do what was right. We need to do what is right. Showing you love someone by being willing to be servant to them is just one more step along the road to a successful relationship... and it is not a short 12 disciple dash but a lifetime of willingness...

Points to Ponder:
Do you like  doing things for others?

How much do you do for Christ?