When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to the AFL most weeks. We’d stand in ‘the outer’, rain hail or shine, cheering our team on. Unfortunately, the poor old Kangaroos lost far more games than they won, so it wasn’t always a joyous experience; i seems that things haven’t changed that much!
A memory of those days that is indelibly etched into my memory is when Dad asked me if I’d like to go into the change rooms before the match. The man who stood the gate was a long-time friend of Dad’s and he let us ‘sneak in for a peek.’
I felt so honoured, and I was totally mesmerised! These giants of men smelling of freshly applied lineament, kicking a ball to each other, lacing up their boots and running on the spot getting ready the game was a sight and smell to behold. I must have stood there with my mouth wide open the whole time!
Then we were ushered into an adjoining room where the coach wanted to have the last few minutes with his players. I would have loved to stay because I wanted to hear what the coach had to say before they left the rooms and entered the playing field.
As one reads through the New Testament Book of John in Chapter 13, there is a real sense of the Senior Coach (Jesus) being with his team (The Disciples), giving them His final instructions.
"Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do... Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognise that you are my disciples when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:12 & 34, The Message Translation)
Jesus, knowing that His time with His Disciples was about to end, knew that over the past three years they have heard many words from Him, seen Him do amazing things, and – realising this ‘training period’ is about to come to an end – focuses them on the key message.
Jesus is about to embark on this most incredible salvation plan; a salvation plan that enables all of us to reconnect with God as we were designed to do buy dying on the cross. This is something only Jesus could do and not something the disciples could help bring to pass. Hence, Jesus didn’t focus on this incredible salvation plan in these final moments. Rather, like a coach giving his team last minute instructions, the key thing Jesus wants His followers to focus on is how they are to see one another and how they are to treat one another. This was His core message.
Jesus enacts His message by washing the feet of His disciples. Here, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah willingly takes the position of a servant, rather than demand to be treated like He was entitled to because of His position. If the natural order of things had been followed, it should have been the disciples who were scrambling over each other to wash Jesus’ feet! But alas, it was Jesus showing His followers how to love and treat one another.
As Jesus performs this act of service, He exemplifies the importance of doing so with a heart that desires to honour others. What a counter-cultural message! It flies in the face of the way life of that time and today works. Then Jesus follows it up with an amazing statement:
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognise that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other."
The desire of the Staff and I is that we want to love like Jesus. We desire to love with a heart that wants to honour others before ourselves.
As followers of Jesus, we believe that if we are to love like Jesus, we are to love with a desire to see others reconciled to God. If we are to love like Jesus, we are to love with a desire to value others more than we value ourselves. If we are to love like Jesus, we are to love with an impact that shows how God’s love is different.
If I am honest with myself, there are times when I feel totally inadequate to live and love in such a manner. But then I’m reminded of how Jesus has gone before us and continuously empowers us through the Holy Spirit to stumble in the right direction.
He enables us to do what we are called to do. As we live out this calling, we can become a community known for its capacity to love. As followers of Jesus, we are able to bring His presence into all situations.
May this continue to be our reputation. May this be at the heart of our community. May we continue to honour Jesus by loving like Him.