Tonight we handed in our assignment for the Gospel of John and I think chapter 13 has soared into my favourites-list. I'm aware that this chapter gets recycled into a lot of teachings but despite being near completing the Bible I felt, through it, exposed to love in a clarified way that I hadn't caught before. I love that Jesus' whole ministry was drenched in humility and in case the disciples didn't pick this up Jesus did the deliberate action of washing their feet. I'm confident that my culture and worldview has lost the ability to understand the significance of this action like His disciples did, but I perceive that it shows humility in it's extremity. You see, Jesus knew Judas would betray Him (John 6:70) and yet Jesus bent His knees to the floor and rubbed the dust off Judas' feet, knowing that despite His efforts to persuade spiritual cleansing in this man, His action would only evoke physical cleansing. Jesus' love wasn't constricted by His understanding of the result it would evoke. Although in some sense this seems like a waste of time or effort, who are we to become judges of people's worthiness of love? We're not; we are called to love like Christ. I was thinking that the world's version of love doesn't look like Jesus'. Worldly love doesn't endure rejection and as a result the world is so thirsty to see love that simply is; such that can be neither earned nor dissuaded. I'm careful of writing these truths and treasures that I find in the Bible without letting it affect my life because this is what I'm good at. I want to pray now for opportunities to love when people don't deserve it. I'm not talking about finding that drug addict (although I'm not opposed!) but frankly my life doesn't look like this. I'm talking about starting in a Christian setting. To those who accidentally offend me because of culture collision, or the friend who says a curt comment; hurts my feelings; doesn't help me when I need it. These are all regular things which slightly wound be and teach me to be a little bit more cautious with my love. I pray for more opportunities to practice love that doesn't feel fair; love that feels undeserved. Love without ulterior motives.
