Trinity Lutheran Church

Gospel is from John in the 13th Chapter

13Now 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. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then 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. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus 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.” ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” ¹²After 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? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

¹⁸I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ ¹⁹I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. ²⁰Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” ²¹After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” ²²The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. ²³One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; ²⁴Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” ²⁸Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little 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.’ ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable unto you O Lord our Rock and Our Redeemer. Amen.

Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest things in life. The new game show, “Minute to Win It” proves exactly that point. Seemingly simple tasks, like getting one playing card in a cut watermelon or bouncing a ping pong ball across a few plates to land in a fish bowl. The catch is that these people have only one minute to win. Every time they complete a challenge they win money. The whole premise is that each of these tasks are simple and often involve common everyday household items. Yet, no one has won the million dollar prize and most people do not make it very far in the different levels.

Jesus calls us to do something so simple- “Love one another.” Yet, this commandment is sometimes the hardest commandment to follow. We do not necessarily like everyone around us much less love them. John tells us this is a new commandment, but we only have to look to the book of Leviticus to realize that it is not a new commandment. Our ancestors knew they were to love one another. But, when Jesus came, it all changed. The love we are to share with our neighbors is not the same as the love our ancestors were told to share with one another. Our ancestors certainly knew to love one another, but this time it was different. Jesus called them and us to live in a different way.

By living this commandment we will share in the love between God and Jesus. We will share in the love that is the mark of the relationship  between God and Jesus. By living out this commandment in our daily lives we show tangibly to those around us that we are one of Jesus’ disciples. We love because God told us to love. We live as God has called us to live.

A few years ago, the Christian community held tightly onto the slogan, “W.W.J.D.” “What would Jesus do?” It was a way for people to live like Christ; to think before acting and think before doing. It was suppose to remind people, that they are called to live a different way. The slogan was plastered from bumper stickers to bracelets, water bottles, t-shirts, hats, and of course my personal favorite underwear. Wherever one looked you could see this tag line. What would Jesus do?

The better question for us, is not what would Jesus do, because let’s face it no matter how hard we try we will never be like Jesus, but the more appropriate question to ask is, “How does God want me to respond in this situation?” It is that question, the question that seems so obvious, so simple, is so hard to answer. Clearly the answer will be, “God wants us to answer, to act, in love.” To love those around us, to love our neighbor as ourselves, to love as God loves us. The questions is so simple, “How is God calling me to act in this situation?” The response to that question is anything but simple.

It is hard to love. It is hard to forgive those who have hurt us. It sometimes is impossible to forgive those who have hurt us so badly in our lives. It is hard to love and respect those we think are wrong. We sometimes can feel as though to love someone else may be worse then just ignoring them. Unfortunately Jesus does not give us a commandment with exceptions. No matter what, no matter how much we want to or do not want to, our commandment is the same- love.

Love one another. Love as God loves us. Love, so simple. Just love. Love without a doubt, love without hesitation, love like God loves you. Today we enter into the Triduum. The time in the church when we celebrate and remember the last few days of Jesus’ life and we treat them as one larger story instead of three days. We leave tonight not with a sending, but instead with the hope that we will come back to continue to be a part of the story. To live out all of the parts of those last days. To be with Jesus and his disciples as they celebrate the last supper. To be in the crowd as we hear Jesus crying out to God. To be with those who first heard the Good News and those who continue to share it with those around us. In these next few days, we are invited to share in the relationship between God and Jesus. To share in the love that does not make any sense, but at the same time makes perfect sense.

It is this love, this simple love between Father and Son, a love that knows no bounds that we are commanded to share with all those around us. It is on this day during the church year that we receive our commandment to go out and share God’s love. A simple task, yet one at some time will challenge who we are at the very core. But as we try to love those around us we can be promised of one thing. That we are unconditionally loved by God, no matter how many times the simple things in life are too hard to bear and to do. Amen.