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September 16, 2025
Good morning,
A few months ago I picked the footwashing scene from the Gospel of John as my text going forward in my life. It is such an intimate event for Jesus and his disciples. but then there’s a problem. Peter does not want to have Jesus wash his feet. It upsets the fine evening. The dinner has all kinds of tension in it. Jesus wants to teach them humility with this act of service, but I am not sure it works.
As the evening continues in John 13:18-30 , Jesus says that someone in the room is the betrayer. This must have been a shock to the group except for Judas. He says it is not all of them in the room. Peter asks another disciple to ask Jesus who it is ? Jesus says it is the one whom I give the bread dipped in the wine. But there seems to be confusion about what it happening in the room. Judas was the treasurer of the group, so some thought Jesus was telling him to go buy the food for the evening.
“But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” verses 28-30
Often I am like the disciples and am unclear what is going on in the church and in life. How can Israel continue to kill children, and the world community cannot stop them ? How can the war in Ukraine continue on the same pieces of land for so many years ? How can we ( and I am very guilty here ) continue to fly places knowing that fossil fuels make more pollution ? Are we stuck, or hope that someone else will fix the problems of war and climate. ? We must continue to advocate for change. It is our task.
The disciples did not always perceive Jesus’ teaching. Here at the beginning of the supper, they are fighting, and one of their own is now accused of conspiring to kill their saviour, their teacher and their rabbi. What next ??
Praying for all the leaders of all nations to work for a better peace . AMEN
Fred
black and white shadows
crush humanity’s freedom
am I complicit ?
MPL 2025
Ponder Anew 