2003.1.26. Rev. Young Jin Cho

"You should do as I have done for you"

John 13:1-15

Two words that are popular among the clergies and laymen are leadership and spirituality. When I was studying at the seminary in early 1980's, these two words were not widely used. But nowadays without these two words one almost cannot preach nor discuss theology.

Especially now leadership is gaining an ever-increasing interest. Not only within church but also in the society as a whole and in business, this word is widely used. We hear that we cannot emphasize enough the importance of pastoral leadership. Because sometimes when a church experiences difficulties and is about to close down, a new minister arrives and a new chapter begins at the church. However, the question of leadership is not just applied to pastors. The leadership of laymen is equally important. Why? Although a good pastor plays a crucial role in the growth of church, good laymen play a decisive role in developing a good pastor. Thus, the question of leadership is for both pastor and lay members. This is especially so today when we install new elders and exhorters. We will examine this question more closely.

I.

On Christian leadership I want to emphasize this. It is the very servant leadership. Our Lord clearly said: in the secular world the one who gets served is big. But it is not so with you. Whoever wants to be big, to live a great life, must be the one who serves. On this point the Christian leadership is different from the worldly leadership. The servant leadership is what the Lord has shown to us. This is truly the leadership we Christians must emulate. This servant leadership is well represented in the Book of John Chapter 13.

Jesus was having the pre-Passover feast with his disciples. It was when Judas Iscariot was to betray Jesus, that Jesus got up from the meal, he took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into basin, started to wash his disciples' feet. When he came to Simon Peter, Simon refused to be washed, feeling embarrassed to be washed by his Lord. Jesus said: 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.' Peter then asked to wash his hands and head as well. Hearing that washing his feet is enough, Peter received the feet washing from Jesus.

The washing of the disciples' feet was Jesus expression of love toward his disciples. Today's scripture clearly tells us. John 13:1 said: Just before the Passover, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in this world, He now showed them the full extent of his love. His precious love of his people, the disciples, was shown in his cleansing of his disciples' feet. The biblical scholars understood the expression 몋he fullest expression in two ways. The first meaning is maximum love, an incomparable greatest love. The second meaning is love until the last moment. It was Jesus' ultimate expression of love toward his disciples. It was an event of our Lord showing his love until the last moment.

My Congregation! Jesus washed not only the disciples, but all of us as well. He gives us abundant love. As he said, if He does not wash us, we are not relevant to Him. The fact that you and I worship here together this morning is due to his washing of our feet. Because Jesus also washed the church, the church still exists today.

We are truly thankful. It is truly overwhelming. If our Lord did not wash you and me, and if He did not wash our minds that are full of dark sins with his blood, we would be hopeless people. We would be people without tomorrow. We would be people not worth standing in front of God. But because of His love, the love with death on the cross, we have received washing. We received forgiveness. We can live a new life as God's sons and daughters. Forgiven yesterday, within His love today, we can live with hope for tomorrow. We are truly thankful. It is the amazing grace for which we cannot possibly give enough thanks.

II

Jesus, who showed His great love, told his disciples, to us also. "You also should wash one another's feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you." Jesus washed his disciples' feet out of his love for them, and he also did it to teach them the truth to love one another. Thus, washing each other's feet is an assignment given to all of us. It is a mission. If so, what kind of life is the life washing other's feet following His example? Facing this inescapable command of His, how can we lead a life of washing our brother and sister's feet?

(1) I want to say first the following. His act of washing his disciples' feet awakens us to see what a real love is. In those times, there were no socks, shoes nor sneakers as today. Since they wore sandals on their bare feet, you can imagine the state of one's feet after walking dusty roads. That was the reason why when guests visit, the host would give water to wash their feet. Now Jesus washed their feet full of dirt and dust. What kind of love is this to wash one's feet? It is love to wrap and wash our shameful, dirty and sinful selves. It is not just to love those we like. For this kind of love, non-Christians are also capable. For this kind of love, there is no need to believe in Jesus. Jesus' words to wash each other's feet are command to love that goes far more extra miles than the worldly love. It is to love those whom you don't like, even those who live a dirty and ugly life.

I want to ask you a question: do you think Jesus washed Judas Iscariot's feet or did he refuse to wash Judas' feet? He did! According to the book of John, Jesus intimated Judas Iscariot's betrayal, broke a piece of bread, and gave it to Judas. After eating the bread, Judas left. It is certain that Jesus washed Judas' feet. This was the extent of love Jesus has shown us - the love of washing even the betrayer's feet. Jesus asked us to live with this kind of love.

(2) Secondly, there is a message for us in Jesus' act of washing His disciples' feet. That is, He loved His disciples to the fullest extent. As I said before, as an expression of His maximum love, He washed His disciples' feet. As an expression of love until the last moment, He washed His disciples' feet. It was love until the last moment. The commandment that we wash each other's feet implies that we practice love until the last moment. My Congregation! Loving one day may not be difficult, loving one month may not be too difficult, but to love until the last moment is definitely not easy. This commandment means to never give up love. We may get tired in loving, we may want to give up loving, sometimes, and we may feel like throwing it away. But the Lord said to love in those instances. He told us to love until the last moment; thus, the true love must be able to be patient. Without patience, one cannot truly love. My Congregation, in St. Paul's Corinthian 13:4, what does love start with? 'Love is patient', love is kind and starts with patience. In Corinthian 13:7, with what does love end? It always hopes, always perseveres. Love ends with patience and perseverance. It starts with patience and ends with patience. Love that our Lord commanded us is this kind of love.

Pastors sometimes feel frustrated. That is when there does not seem to be any changes in the church members. After so many sermons, shouldn't there be some changes? After so much life of faith, isn't it about time for showing some changes? When changes are anticipated, and there are no apparent fruits of changes, it is truly frustrating. What have I not done? Sometime, I indulge in self-criticism. The cell meeting leaders and the lay leaders may feel the same. By the way, I am beginning to realize one fact: as personality takes long time to be formed, any changes in people would come gradually. Now I can understand Jesus words to forgive 70 times, 7 times.

It is not easy to change human life. It needs patience and waiting. Our Lord asked us to practice this love until the last moment. By washing His disciples' feet, He asked us to love until the last moment.

(3) Thirdly, there is a requirement for living the life of true love and washing the neighbors' feet following our Lord's example. That is to lower yourself; without lowering yourself, you cannot live the life of love.

According to the custom of the time, washing other's feet belonged to servants or lower class people. But, Jesus, who was the teacher and the Lord, was washing His disciples' feet. This act was breaking the rules of the time. It was un-imaginable according to the times' custom and tradition. Then, how was it possible? It was possible because He lowered Himself. It was possible because He showed utmost humility, and this lowering was possible because he emptied himself. Philippians 2:6 clearly witness this fact. Jesus is the original being like God, He decided not to sit on laurels, emptied his glory and privileges, gave them up, and came to us in the form of servant. Then, he lowered Himself to wash his disciples' feet. Yes, He even lowered Himself to die on the cross. This lowering was possible due to his emptying. I sensed this emptying when Jesus took off his outer clothing in order to wash His disciples' feet. He took off the symbol of class or social standing. To lower Himself, He emptied Himself.

My Congregation! Do you really want the true life of service? Do you want to live the life of love? You must lower yourself. You cannot love without lowering yourself. Without lowering yourself, you cannot love, and to lower yourself, you must empty yourself. You must empty of all your good school background; you must empty your good social position. Without emptying, you cannot lower yourself. Without lowering yourself, it is impossible to live the life of love that the Lord has taught us.

Professor Henry Nouwen, who died in September 1996, lived that very kind of life. He was famous as professor at the Yale Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School. All his books became best sellers that awakened our soul. But, out of feeling of nothingness, he stopped in the middle of an upward mobility. He resigned the professorship at the famous school and went to the daybreak community for the emotionally disturbed located in Canada. He chose a downward mobility and forsook the upward mobility. He confessed that he found the real love and God's love in a downward mobility. He lowered himself for the life of true love. And for this lowered life, he emptied title, honor and conceit. He lived the life of true love through emptying,

III.

Our Lord showed us the true love by washing the disciples' feet. And He told us to love as He did. And He asked us as the God's first washed children to empty ourselves and practice love for the downtrodden with patience.

My Congregation! We can conclude three things out of this love that our Lord has shown us.

First, what is the leadership within Christ's church? The very love is the leadership. You may serve in many capacities, but its foundation is love. Without love, what kind of meaning will service and mission have? You must remember that Christian leadership comes from love; great leadership has love as its foundation.

Second, the true Christian leadership comes from example. Our Lord did not just say to serve. He first washed his disciples' feet, and then He told us to do the same. This is the leadership he showed us to show the example first. The leadership backed by only words will not be effective. Only when backed by example and walking in the frontline, the leadership will become truly effective. Only then you can live in new fruitful ways.

Third, the truth is that the true height comes from lowering oneself. God restores Jesus when Jesus lowers Himself to wash His disciples' feet and to die on the cross. He became high. His name rose above all other names. All the knees knelt in front of Him. Do you really want to be respected? Then, I wish you lower yourself. God will raise you. He will make you to be respected.

I hope that the newly installed exhorters and elders remember these words. I hope the current deacons, exhorters and elders also remember these words. It goes without saying that all the pastors also remember these words. I cannot forget the story told by Rev Ildo Choi of the Da-Il Church, who visited our church.

As Da-Il church became known in Korea, many churches sent their members to Da-Il Church training session. Once, an elderly elder came with 39 youthful members to the training session of the Da-Il church. In these sessions, people slept on the streets like the homeless people. Now, the only problem was the toilet; there was only one toilet! One morning Rev Choi went to the toilet early to avoid crowd. Already two people were waiting outside, and soon two more people showed up. Now whoever occupied the toilet wasn't coming out. One student in the front of the line said that it was the elder who was in the toilet. The minister said: "Elder, please finish soon since there are five of us waiting outside." The elder replied: "Please wait few more minutes." And two more minutes passed by. "Elder, please come out, it's an emergency." The elder said "Just a little longer, a littler longer." The pastor became impatient and started to knock on the door loudly. The elder finally came out. When the door opened, every body saw an amazing scene. The elder was fixing the toilet that was blocked. Someone must have earlier put something that blocked the toilet. The elder said to the minister, "Now it's done." The surprised minister said: "Elder, why didn't you tell the building custodian rather than trying to fix it yourself with your bare hands?" The elder answered: "Reverend, what's an elder? He is the one who does dirty work. I am sorry. I should have finished earlier." After the elder left, the minister prayed with choked voice. "How fortunate we are to have this elder with us in Korea!" And he told the young people: I am not going to give you any sermon today, just follow the example of your elder.

You must be truly lucky to share the life of faith with him.? You don't all have to rush to the bathroom! The life of love should not be limited to elders. We are all called to this life of love. We all received God's order to live the life of love. Our Lord is telling us today, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."