June 8, 2013

John 13:12-17  12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

• Well done is better than well said.  --Ben Franklin
• The shortest answer is doing.  --Lord Herbert
• Trust only movement.  Life happens at the level of events, not words.  Trust movement.  --Alfred Adler
• Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.  --Peter Marshall
• Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions.  You may have a heart of gold--but so does a hard-boiled egg.  --Author Unknown

A lot has been written, studied and preached around the episode where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples.  Much of that discussion, rightly so, focuses on Jesus' humility and the example he set for the Christian church. 

But I don't recall hearing a lot of discussion around verse 17.  "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."  Knowing is not doing.  If we want the blessings of God in our lives, we must put Christian teachings and principles into action.

James writes, "22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:22-14

I wonder if the inverse of verse 17 would also be true.  Now that you know these things, you will NOT be blessed if you do NOT do them.

Hmmm. . .