WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.160 This evening's reading is from the Gospel of 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:06.940 John, chapter 13. It was just before the Passover 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:10.419 festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for 00:00:10.419 --> 00:00:12.980 him to leave this world and go to the Father. 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:16.920 Having loved his own who were in the world, he 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.920 loved them to the end. The evening meal was in 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:23.800 progress, and the devil had already prompted 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:27.320 Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:31.300 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:34.200 under his power and that he had come from God 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:37.679 and was returning to God. So he got up from the 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.820 meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped 00:00:40.820 --> 00:00:44.759 a towel around his waist. After that, he poured 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.859 water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:50.840 feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:55.280 around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.890 to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:09.709 Jesus replied, No, said Peter, you shall never 00:01:09.709 --> 00:01:18.730 wash my feet. Jesus answered, Then Lord, Simon 00:01:18.730 --> 00:01:26.480 Peter replied, Jesus answered, Those who have 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:29.060 had a bath need only to wash their feet. Their 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:33.040 whole body is clean. And you are clean, though 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.060 not every one of you. For he knew who was going 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:39.140 to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:43.040 was clean. When he had finished washing their 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.239 feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:48.799 place. Do you understand what I have done for 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:53.079 you? He asked them. You call me teacher and Lord, 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.780 and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that 00:01:56.780 --> 00:01:59.099 I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:03.560 you also should wash one another's feet. I have 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.019 set you an example that you should do as I have 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:10.500 done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:13.400 is greater than his master, nor is a messenger 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:17.280 greater than the one who sent him. Now that you 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.460 know these things, you will be blessed if you 00:02:19.460 --> 00:02:24.990 do them. When he was gone, Jesus said, Now the 00:02:24.990 --> 00:02:27.629 Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified 00:02:27.629 --> 00:02:32.250 in him. If God is glorified in him, God will 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:36.349 glorify the Son in himself and will glorify him 00:02:36.349 --> 00:02:40.530 at once. My children, I will be with you only 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:43.590 a little longer. You will look for me, and just 00:02:43.590 --> 00:02:46.990 as I told the Jews, so I tell you now, where 00:02:46.990 --> 00:02:51.689 I am going, you cannot come. A new command I 00:02:51.689 --> 00:02:55.710 give you, love one another. As I have loved you, 00:02:55.849 --> 00:02:59.189 so you must love one another. By this, everyone 00:02:59.189 --> 00:03:02.210 will know that you are my disciples, if you love 00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:07.930 one another. The word of the Lord. Tonight, we 00:03:07.930 --> 00:03:11.310 enter into one of the most intimate and significant 00:03:11.310 --> 00:03:15.750 moments in the life of Jesus. The Palm Sunday 00:03:15.750 --> 00:03:18.949 procession is long done. The crowds that had 00:03:18.949 --> 00:03:20.530 gathered in the temple courts and throughout 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:23.810 Jerusalem to see and hear Jesus have now dispersed 00:03:23.810 --> 00:03:28.849 as the sun has set and evening falls. The noise 00:03:28.849 --> 00:03:34.009 has quieted. Jesus gathers now not with the multitudes, 00:03:34.009 --> 00:03:38.050 but with his closest followers. With his friends 00:03:38.050 --> 00:03:40.430 and confidants, he prepares to celebrate one 00:03:40.430 --> 00:03:43.689 of the key and most significant ceremonies in 00:03:43.689 --> 00:03:45.930 their faith. Because this is the night of the 00:03:45.930 --> 00:03:49.080 Passover meal. It's a sacred meal for the Jewish 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:52.139 people, a meal that remembers how God delivered 00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:55.960 his people from slavery in Egypt. It's a ceremony 00:03:55.960 --> 00:04:00.219 about rescue, about freedom, about God acting 00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:04.439 to save. Now Jesus and his disciples aren't sitting 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.280 at a table like we might imagine, or perhaps 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:09.840 you think of Leonardo da Vinci's painting. They're 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:13.060 actually reclining, close together, leaning in, 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.949 feet stretched out behind them. It's a posture 00:04:16.949 --> 00:04:21.410 of fellowship, of belonging. But little do his 00:04:21.410 --> 00:04:23.730 friends know that this is the start of something 00:04:23.730 --> 00:04:28.110 even more important. Because what happens tonight 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:32.009 is the start of events that change everything. 00:04:33.430 --> 00:04:36.069 Now here at Trinity, as Rob said, like Christians 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:38.449 around the globe, we'll continue to walk through 00:04:38.449 --> 00:04:41.370 Good Friday and Holy Saturday and look to the 00:04:41.370 --> 00:04:44.399 glory of the Easter resurrection. But tonight, 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:47.639 I have a special invitation for you. I'd like 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:51.139 you to sit and stay with Jesus at this special 00:04:51.139 --> 00:04:56.699 gathering, to watch him, to listen to him, to 00:04:56.699 --> 00:05:01.839 join him in love and anticipation. And we have 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.379 to remember that this night is not just the introduction 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:07.740 of what will come, but it's a key moment in this 00:05:07.740 --> 00:05:10.980 Holy Week. And for us as Christians, it's understanding 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:15.319 the very nature of our faith. Now when you came 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:17.420 in, you may have received a handout. You're welcome 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:22.139 to follow along as we go through today. Let me 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:24.639 introduce an image that might help us understand 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:27.600 this night. Have you ever heard of the idea of 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.319 a hinge moment? You know, a hinge is a small 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:34.199 mechanism on a door. It's often hidden, often 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:37.600 unnoticed, and yet everything turns on it, literally. 00:05:38.509 --> 00:05:42.029 A hinge sits between two movements. It holds 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:44.850 together what has been and what is about to be 00:05:44.850 --> 00:05:48.170 as a door opens. When it moves, a door opens. 00:05:48.389 --> 00:05:51.629 And a hinge moment in our lives is like that. 00:05:52.209 --> 00:05:54.709 It's a moment that may not seem as dramatic on 00:05:54.709 --> 00:05:57.610 the surface, but it can quietly change the direction 00:05:57.610 --> 00:06:01.110 of everything that follows. Often it's a moment 00:06:01.110 --> 00:06:03.930 that something is ending and something new is 00:06:03.930 --> 00:06:07.610 beginning. And often I would say it's also a 00:06:07.610 --> 00:06:11.050 moment that asks something of us. A moment of 00:06:11.050 --> 00:06:15.910 awareness. A moment of decision. A moment when 00:06:15.910 --> 00:06:21.110 we are invited to step into something new. And 00:06:21.110 --> 00:06:23.350 I use this image because I actually think that 00:06:23.350 --> 00:06:27.209 Maundy Thursday is a hinge moment in Holy Week. 00:06:28.110 --> 00:06:32.009 One door is closing. Palm Sunday. Celebration. 00:06:32.509 --> 00:06:36.199 Expectation. Hosanna. And thanks to this hinge, 00:06:36.420 --> 00:06:40.560 another door is about to open. The passion, the 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:44.819 betrayal, the cross, and the resurrection. And 00:06:44.819 --> 00:06:48.100 tonight, Jesus and his disciples, and in a sense, 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:52.019 all of us, stand at that threshold. In front 00:06:52.019 --> 00:06:54.480 of us is a choice, a new way of thinking and 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:58.019 being and doing. A moment between what has been 00:06:58.019 --> 00:07:01.779 and what is about to unfold. A moment when something 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:05.540 new is being revealed. A new way of seeing, a 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:08.420 new way of living, and a new way of following 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:14.000 Jesus. And you wonder, what are the disciples 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.420 thinking about as they prepare to join this intimate 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.220 meal with their Savior? Well, if we look to the 00:07:19.220 --> 00:07:22.180 story that's set out in the Gospel of Luke, we 00:07:22.180 --> 00:07:25.220 learn something surprising. The disciples are 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:28.579 arguing. And not arguing over conflict, but about 00:07:28.579 --> 00:07:31.579 which of them is the greatest. Who matters the 00:07:31.579 --> 00:07:34.899 most? Who has the highest place in their hierarchy? 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:38.579 I would say that's not just their problem, is 00:07:38.579 --> 00:07:41.959 it, if we're with them? That's ours too. I think 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:44.379 we live in a world that constantly tells us that 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:47.720 greatness is about status or influence or recognition, 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.100 about being seen. We climb, we compare, we measure 00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:55.860 ourselves against others. But as we'll soon see, 00:07:56.439 --> 00:08:01.089 the kingdom of God is different. It is in many 00:08:01.089 --> 00:08:05.029 ways upside down, where the last are first, where 00:08:05.029 --> 00:08:07.370 the least are honored, and where the greatest 00:08:07.370 --> 00:08:13.009 serve. Because as this argument engages in this 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:17.050 moment, Jesus shows us just how upside down it 00:08:17.050 --> 00:08:21.110 really is. So in the passage that J .P. read, 00:08:21.350 --> 00:08:26.180 we hear that Jesus quietly stands. John 13 says, 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:29.120 he rose from supper, he lay aside his outer garments, 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:32.019 and taking a towel, he wrapped it around his 00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:36.899 waist. He pours water into a basin, and using 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:40.279 the towel, he begins to wash the disciples' feet. 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:44.200 Now, we're with Jesus in this room tonight, so 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.980 we need to feel this. Just recognize this. In 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:49.360 an ancient world, this was not an innocuous gesture. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:54.899 This was the work of the lowest servant. Dusty 00:08:54.899 --> 00:08:59.960 roads plus sandals equals dirty feet. This was 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:03.240 a job that no one wanted. I don't know, imagine 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:08.220 a CEO cleaning the bathrooms, a general polishing 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:11.820 his soldiers' boots, a Michelin -starred chef 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:15.879 in the back scrubbing the pots and pans, a queen 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:20.179 kneeling before her subjects. Here in this upper 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:23.870 room, the Son of God himself kneels on the floor. 00:09:24.470 --> 00:09:29.710 The king becomes the servant. And the tomb goes 00:09:29.710 --> 00:09:33.610 quiet. Quiet, of course, until Peter speaks up 00:09:33.610 --> 00:09:35.470 and says he doesn't understand it. Lord, are 00:09:35.470 --> 00:09:38.870 you going to wash my feet? But Jesus continues, 00:09:39.169 --> 00:09:46.779 one by one, washing and drying, serving. And 00:09:46.779 --> 00:09:49.320 then he says when he finishes, if I then, your 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:52.580 Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, ready 00:09:52.580 --> 00:09:55.659 for this? You too should wash one another's feet. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:02.200 I have set you an example. So tonight I want 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:03.940 to stay with this moment for a little longer 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:08.299 and consider what it means for each of us. Because 00:10:08.299 --> 00:10:11.019 as I've reflected on this moment in Jesus' life, 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:14.879 I began to see something. A pattern sort of emerged. 00:10:15.669 --> 00:10:19.289 A pattern in how a life of service is formed. 00:10:20.549 --> 00:10:23.710 Not just what Jesus does, but what he says and 00:10:23.710 --> 00:10:30.210 how his life shapes ours. That pattern, I would 00:10:30.210 --> 00:10:34.230 say, can be described in a simple way. One mandate 00:10:34.230 --> 00:10:38.590 and four movements that shape a life of service. 00:10:40.350 --> 00:10:43.230 Well, let's begin with the mandate. Because you 00:10:43.230 --> 00:10:45.429 see, this night is not just symbolic, it's also 00:10:45.429 --> 00:10:48.070 instructional. In fact, maybe you don't know, 00:10:48.129 --> 00:10:51.269 this is where Maundy Thursday got its name. The 00:10:51.269 --> 00:10:55.629 word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, which 00:10:55.629 --> 00:10:59.950 means command or mandate. And the church over 00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:02.750 the centuries has recognized that at the heart 00:11:02.750 --> 00:11:04.409 of this night, even though a lot of other things 00:11:04.409 --> 00:11:08.809 happen, is a new command from Jesus that becomes 00:11:08.809 --> 00:11:13.179 its namesake. Now, before we consider this command, 00:11:13.259 --> 00:11:15.379 we should think about what should we do in the 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:18.679 face of this mandate from Jesus. I think we might 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:22.299 want to say it this way. We need to be ready 00:11:22.299 --> 00:11:27.500 to answer Jesus' command and his example. Not 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:30.659 just with our words, but with our lives. Well, 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.419 what is this command? Well, we heard later in 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:36.700 the same chapter, Jesus builds on his actions 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:40.289 and says, a new commandment I give to you. that 00:11:40.289 --> 00:11:44.129 you love one another just as I have loved you, 00:11:44.230 --> 00:11:49.649 you are to love one another. This is a powerful 00:11:49.649 --> 00:11:52.429 example, powerful words, but I think I want you 00:11:52.429 --> 00:11:54.950 to notice something else. Jesus doesn't give 00:11:54.950 --> 00:11:58.610 this command in the abstract. He's not speaking 00:11:58.610 --> 00:12:01.750 it from a distance. He gives it in the middle 00:12:01.750 --> 00:12:04.990 of relationships and friendships and in the middle 00:12:04.990 --> 00:12:10.070 of an action with a towel in his hands. with 00:12:10.070 --> 00:12:13.129 the dirty water still in the basin, with his 00:12:13.129 --> 00:12:17.289 disciples' feet just washed. In other words, 00:12:17.289 --> 00:12:20.370 Jesus' command and his example are inseparable. 00:12:21.710 --> 00:12:24.690 And what this means for us is that for a follower 00:12:24.690 --> 00:12:28.129 of Jesus, service like Jesus is not optional. 00:12:28.830 --> 00:12:32.789 It's not an add -on to the Christian life. It's 00:12:32.789 --> 00:12:35.409 a core part of the faithful life that he calls 00:12:35.409 --> 00:12:40.620 us into. But that starting point, that mandate, 00:12:40.860 --> 00:12:43.059 what does that look like? How does that kind 00:12:43.059 --> 00:12:47.159 of life actually take shape in us? And this is 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:49.279 where I suggest that we begin to see the next 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:51.980 part of the pattern of what it means to serve. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:55.519 In the life of Jesus, we can see this. And, of 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:57.100 course, in the teachings of the early church 00:12:57.100 --> 00:13:00.519 as well. And I suggest this is where we can see 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:02.500 in Jesus' actions, life, and the words of his 00:13:02.500 --> 00:13:05.580 followers that there are four movements, I want 00:13:05.580 --> 00:13:11.600 to call them, that shape a life of service. First, 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:15.799 our attitude. Because we see that service begins 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:19.919 in the heart. John later tells us, having loved 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.580 his own who are in the world, Jesus loved them 00:13:22.580 --> 00:13:26.519 to the end. Everything that follows flows from 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:30.460 that love. Jesus isn't simply performing an act. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.639 He's revealing the heart of God, a heart that 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:39.120 moves toward people, a heart that serves. And 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.919 if we are to follow him, it makes sense, doesn't 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.679 it, that our lives and our hearts must begin 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:47.639 in the same place. We need to cultivate an attitude 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:52.480 of Christ -like love. I chose the word cultivate 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:55.740 carefully. Because I don't think an attitude 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:59.379 necessarily just appears overnight. It grows. 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:02.679 It's an agricultural term, right? It's like something 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:05.299 that's planted in the soil of our lives, and 00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:08.360 it needs to be tended. There are certainly things 00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:11.899 that work against it. Maybe the weeds of selfishness, 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:16.379 or the drought of distraction or despair, striving, 00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:20.419 busyness. All of these can crowd out a heart 00:14:20.419 --> 00:14:23.820 shaped for service. So this is something that 00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:26.639 we return to again and again. As a starting point, 00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:29.519 we have to allow Jesus to reshape our hearts, 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:32.960 to make us more attentive, more compassionate, 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:37.440 more other -centered. The Apostle Paul gives 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.740 us some language for this. We can read these 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:43.039 words from Philippians. Do nothing from selfish 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:46.460 ambition or conceit, but in humility count others 00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:50.720 more significant than yourselves. Let each of 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:53.110 you look not to their own interests, but also 00:14:53.110 --> 00:14:56.169 to the interests of others. And have this mind 00:14:56.169 --> 00:14:59.370 among yourselves, this attitude, which is yours 00:14:59.370 --> 00:15:02.549 in Christ Jesus. Because this is the attitude 00:15:02.549 --> 00:15:05.690 of Jesus, an attitude shaped by love, an attitude 00:15:05.690 --> 00:15:08.950 that begins to see people differently. People 00:15:08.950 --> 00:15:11.110 aren't interruptions in this context, but they 00:15:11.110 --> 00:15:15.269 are people to be loved and served. And so for 00:15:15.269 --> 00:15:17.529 this first movement, maybe the question for us 00:15:17.529 --> 00:15:22.490 is this. Am I cultivating my attitude? Where 00:15:22.490 --> 00:15:26.250 might God be shaping or reshaping my heart to 00:15:26.250 --> 00:15:32.370 care more deeply about others? Well, I suppose 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:34.110 you would say it's not enough to just have a 00:15:34.110 --> 00:15:36.929 good attitude. A servant's heart also needs to 00:15:36.929 --> 00:15:40.429 learn to notice the moment and be ready to respond. 00:15:42.149 --> 00:15:44.049 There's a phrase you might know from a well -known 00:15:44.049 --> 00:15:47.039 worship chorus. Open the eyes of my heart. Have 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.120 you heard that before? For a long time, I always 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.240 thought that was a strange mixed metaphor. How 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:53.600 does my heart have eyes? But I think thinking 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.340 through this example of Jesus has helped me understand 00:15:57.340 --> 00:16:00.759 it. Because this is what Jesus sees when he comes 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:05.720 into that room. A basin, a towel, and a room 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:09.399 full of dirty, unwashed feet. Things everyone 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:12.679 else overlooked. But Jesus steps in. And so that's 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:15.580 the second movement. We are to live with anticipation. 00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:21.139 of God's invitations to serve. We begin to expect 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:23.879 that God is at work around us, that he's placing 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:27.879 moments in front of us, and that he may interrupt 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:31.460 our plans with something even more significant. 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:36.539 Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians, where he 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:39.279 says, For we are his workmanship, created in 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.500 Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:46.940 beforehand that we should walk in them. Think 00:16:46.940 --> 00:16:50.179 about that. God has already prepared moments, 00:16:50.299 --> 00:16:54.720 conversations, encounters, needs. The question 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:57.340 for us isn't whether those needs exist or those 00:16:57.340 --> 00:17:00.519 moments exist. The question is whether we are 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:04.900 ready to see them and whether we are willing 00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:09.200 to be interrupted when they come. Sometimes it's 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.660 very simple. Maybe it's a conversation that you 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:14.480 take time for that you hadn't planned. A moment 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.819 when somebody needs encouragement. A small opportunity 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:21.240 to help that would be easy to overlook. But I 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.220 think those are often the places where God is 00:17:23.220 --> 00:17:26.880 already at work. So a question we can consider 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:30.000 tonight. Where might God already be inviting 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.519 us to serve? And am I open enough, attentive 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:41.240 enough to notice when that moment comes? Let's 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:43.680 turn to the next movement, because the way that 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.779 we serve matters. Jesus doesn't announce what 00:17:47.779 --> 00:17:49.720 he's about to do. He doesn't gather the disciples 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:54.019 and say, hey, watch me. He simply kneels, quietly, 00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:57.539 humbly, without drawing attention to himself. 00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:01.640 And so this third movement is about how we serve, 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:05.839 and that is to adopt an approach of quiet humility. 00:18:07.529 --> 00:18:09.630 You know, Jesus taught this explicitly in the 00:18:09.630 --> 00:18:11.930 Sermon on the Mount. Again, he uses some really 00:18:11.930 --> 00:18:13.650 interesting language where he says, when you 00:18:13.650 --> 00:18:15.829 give to the needy, don't even let your left hand 00:18:15.829 --> 00:18:18.690 know what your right hand is doing. It's almost 00:18:18.690 --> 00:18:21.130 a strange image. But I think that the point is 00:18:21.130 --> 00:18:24.250 clear. For Christians, some of the most faithful 00:18:24.250 --> 00:18:26.609 acts of service are the ones that are performed 00:18:26.609 --> 00:18:29.769 not for others to see. They're offered quietly, 00:18:29.890 --> 00:18:35.279 before God, for his glory. I can remember a moment 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.200 from my years at World Vision. A donor gave a 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:41.140 really significant gift. And when asked how he 00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:43.119 wanted to be recognized, he said, please don't 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.319 recognize me at all. This isn't about my name. 00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:47.859 It's about what God is doing. I want to give 00:18:47.859 --> 00:18:52.240 him glory. Now, let's be clear. There are many 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:55.180 generous gifts, large and small, that are recognized 00:18:55.180 --> 00:18:57.740 publicly and that can be a powerful witness and 00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:01.200 example for others. But there's also something 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:04.019 deeply Christ -like about someone who serves 00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:08.099 without needing to be seen. And when you look 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:10.480 at Jesus here, kneeling on the floor, you realize 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:13.059 just how different the way he's working from 00:19:13.059 --> 00:19:15.859 the way that our world works. Our world often 00:19:15.859 --> 00:19:18.200 looks for recognition, for applause, for visibility. 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:22.359 But Jesus shows us another way, a way of humility, 00:19:22.660 --> 00:19:29.099 a way that points beyond ourselves to God. Peter 00:19:29.099 --> 00:19:32.160 captures this beautifully. As each person has 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.680 received a gift, use it to serve one another 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:39.180 so that in everything God may be glorified through 00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:43.099 Jesus Christ. So maybe the questions under this 00:19:43.099 --> 00:19:46.539 movement are these. Am I willing to serve quietly 00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:51.119 even when no one notices? Even if I am recognized, 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:54.599 am I still focused more on God's glory rather 00:19:54.599 --> 00:19:58.569 than myself? And is my approach to serving reflecting 00:19:58.569 --> 00:20:05.990 the humility of Jesus? Well, and finally, the 00:20:05.990 --> 00:20:09.950 fourth movement. We need to step into action 00:20:09.950 --> 00:20:12.930 when the moment appears. Because at some point, 00:20:12.950 --> 00:20:16.230 service becomes real only through what we do. 00:20:17.309 --> 00:20:19.730 In my consulting work, I was speaking recently 00:20:19.730 --> 00:20:22.170 with a CEO of a large organization who was very 00:20:22.170 --> 00:20:25.029 honest about a challenge he was facing. And he 00:20:25.029 --> 00:20:27.650 said about his organization and his team, we 00:20:27.650 --> 00:20:31.930 are very good at admiring problems, but not always 00:20:31.930 --> 00:20:35.289 as good at doing something about them. I think 00:20:35.289 --> 00:20:37.029 if we're honest, that could be true of us as 00:20:37.029 --> 00:20:40.430 well. We can admire compassion, admire generosity, 00:20:40.809 --> 00:20:44.750 admire the idea of service, but Jesus doesn't 00:20:44.750 --> 00:20:47.650 just admire the idea of service. He kneels. He 00:20:47.650 --> 00:20:50.809 acts. And the New Testament scriptures make clear 00:20:50.809 --> 00:20:55.150 that this matters. James writes, faith by itself, 00:20:55.269 --> 00:20:59.549 if it does not have works, is dead. It's clear 00:20:59.549 --> 00:21:02.309 language. Now, James is not saying that our actions 00:21:02.309 --> 00:21:05.970 are what saves us. We are saved by grace. But 00:21:05.970 --> 00:21:09.289 he is saying that real faith, living faith, should 00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:13.529 always express itself through action. Because 00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:16.690 when the love of Christ takes root in us, in 00:21:16.690 --> 00:21:20.349 our hearts, it begins us to have an orientation 00:21:20.349 --> 00:21:24.390 to move outward. into what we do, into how we 00:21:24.390 --> 00:21:26.890 respond, into the choices that we make when a 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:30.250 moment is placed in front of us. At some point, 00:21:30.269 --> 00:21:34.650 love has to become visible, tangible, real, and 00:21:34.650 --> 00:21:38.109 it does so when we act. That's what we see in 00:21:38.109 --> 00:21:42.369 Jesus. That's what he invites us into. And so 00:21:42.369 --> 00:21:44.509 perhaps the question for us tonight is this. 00:21:45.369 --> 00:21:47.950 What is one small step I'm being invited to take? 00:21:48.750 --> 00:21:52.420 Where might I be called not just to feel, but 00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:57.019 to act. You know that at Trinity during Lent, 00:21:57.019 --> 00:21:59.220 we've been tracking through the This is the Way 00:21:59.220 --> 00:22:01.460 series, and you should have received one of the 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:03.680 little pocket booklets. One of the practices 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:06.680 included here is that of service. And there's 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:08.980 some great examples of actions to take that map 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:11.339 well with Jesus' mandate and these movements 00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:13.980 that we've talked about. And there's an opportunity 00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:17.079 to consider your actions, considering simple 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:19.240 rhythms that allow you to give yourself to others 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:22.529 throughout the year. Sometimes really powerful 00:22:22.529 --> 00:22:24.690 to be able to take it from our minds and put 00:22:24.690 --> 00:22:29.589 it down on paper as a commitment. Well, as I 00:22:29.589 --> 00:22:32.130 prepare to close, I want to point to something 00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:36.950 even deeper. In this night, as we're gathered 00:22:36.950 --> 00:22:41.970 in the upper room with his disciples, Jesus knows 00:22:41.970 --> 00:22:46.470 what's coming. He knows even that Judas, in just 00:22:46.470 --> 00:22:50.369 an hour or so, will betray him. Which means, 00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:53.839 If we think about this, that Jesus kneels before 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:57.500 the man who will hand him over to death and washes 00:22:57.500 --> 00:23:02.279 his feet. He serves him. This is the love of 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:04.940 Christ. A love that doesn't withdraw, a love 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:07.140 that doesn't calculate, a love that's not conditional. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:13.140 It's a love that serves, even when it costs everything. 00:23:16.059 --> 00:23:19.779 And that means that my talk tonight is not just 00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:21.859 a sermon about service that we could have at 00:23:21.859 --> 00:23:23.940 any time of the year. It's a shared moment within 00:23:23.940 --> 00:23:26.259 this Holy Week that I think invites a response. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:30.859 Because taking up the towel points us forward. 00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:34.480 Because we know, and we'll be gathered back here 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.119 tomorrow morning, that in just a few hours, Jesus 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:42.759 will kneel again. Not beside a basin, but beneath 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:46.829 the weight of a cross. The servant king who washes 00:23:46.829 --> 00:23:52.589 feet will give his life. And so the hinge turns 00:23:52.589 --> 00:23:58.549 from the upper room to the cross, from the towel 00:23:58.549 --> 00:24:03.970 to the nails. And tonight is not only a hinge 00:24:03.970 --> 00:24:07.170 moment in Holy Week, it may be a hinge moment 00:24:07.170 --> 00:24:10.390 for us. This could be a moment of invitation. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:14.220 of decision, a moment when something begins to 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:17.599 open as we seek to align our lives and our hearts 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.940 with those of Jesus. Because the question is 00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:22.960 not whether the door is opening. The question 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:26.700 is, will we step through it? Will we follow Jesus' 00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:30.559 command and follow his example? And will we take 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:34.980 up the towel? In just a few moments, we're going 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:37.960 to turn to the communion table. And in doing 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:40.940 so, we begin continue what began on this very 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:44.500 night 2 ,000 years ago. Because the meal that 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:46.480 we're about to share isn't separate from what 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:48.619 we've talked about. It flows directly from it. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:52.279 Tonight we come together around the table, not 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:54.420 as those who have mastered the idea of service, 00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:57.400 but as those who have been served by Christ. 00:24:58.259 --> 00:25:02.259 The one who knelt now gives himself to us. His 00:25:02.259 --> 00:25:07.220 body, his blood, given for us. And as we receive, 00:25:07.259 --> 00:25:11.039 we can think about his words. I have set you 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.400 an example. So when that moment comes, as we 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:20.279 remember, as we give thanks, as we sit with Jesus 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:23.180 and the disciples, as we begin together to walk 00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:27.460 toward the cross, I pray that we'll step forward, 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:33.019 take up the towel, and serve. Amen.