John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (NRSV)
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus Turns the World Upside Down
I saw an interview with Ted Turner once and he explained how the PTL ministry worked. Of course, the PTL Club aired on Turner's cable network and Turner said he and Jim Bakker divided the money 50/50 after every show. Once a week Jim and Tammy Faye would pull up in their new Cadillac at Turner's office and Ted and Jim would pour all the checks onto the table and divvy them up ... half for you ... half for me. I read recently a revealing story about televangelist Jim Bakker when he was still riding high as the head of the PTL television ministry. I say "riding high" because, at the time his daily program was generating more than four million dollars a month for his electronic religious empire. I read this week that after one of his shows, Jim Baker retired to his luxurious dressing room. There he took off his shoes and socks and placed his feet on a glass table. Bakker then demanded a foot rub from aides and staff members gathered before him.
Contrast that with Jesus. On Thursday of Holy Week, the day we call Maundy Thursday, Christ told his disciples to take off their sandals. Then he went around the room and one by one he washed their feet like a servant. He then commanded them to go out and follow his example.
Once upon a time Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home in Montreat. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. "You know," he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it." Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway. A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap. The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone. The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure. The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving. He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor. He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law but I also know that important people are sometimes given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?"
The young trooper said, "No, he's more important than that."
The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president."
The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that."
The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?"
The young trooper said, "I think it might be Jesus - because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur.
Now that sounds more like it. Billy Graham serving as Jesus' chauffeur. And Billy Graham would be proud to do it, too. But Jesus does not seem like the kind of person who would entirely comfortable riding in the back of a chauffeur. I say that based on the way Jesus acts in our scripture reading from John's gospel. We read there the story of how Jesus turns the world upside down on Maundy Thursday.
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he gets up from the table,takes off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he pours water into a basin andbegan to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel thatwas tied around him.
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says to Peter: "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me."
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says: "If I, your Lord andTeacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says: "I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you."
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says: "Servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
- Jesus turns the world upside down when he says: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
But Jesus doesn't stop with Maundy Thursday. He continues on through the Garden of Gethesemane. He continues turning the world upside down when he is crucified on a Roman cross between two thieves. Jesus turns the world upside down when he dies and they lay him in the tomb. And Jesus most certainly turns the world upside down when God raised him from the dead on the third day.
Jesus turns the world upside down. He did it 2000 years ago. He does it still today. Tonight we open our hearts to Jesus once again. We open our hands to take the bread and dip it in the cup. We open our mouths to take the bread and wine that represents Jesus' body and blood. We open our lives to the possibility that Jesus will turn our
world upside down tonight.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
