Sermon Tone Analysis

FILTHY FEET

HAVE YOU EVER HAD THAT UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENT WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU TO HELP THEM?

YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO HELP, BUT YOU’RE STUCK.

YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY TO GET OUT OF HELPING.

MAYBE THEY ARE MOVING, AND YOU KNOW THEY WON’T BE READY.

YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GET THERE TO HELP…..THEY WILL BE THROWING THINGS IN GARBAGE BAGS AT THE LAST SECOND.

OR THEY NEED A RIDE AND YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GET THERE TO PICK THEM UP, THEY WON’T BE READY….EVEN AFTER YOU SENT THEM A TEXT LETTING THEM KNOW YOU’RE ON THE WAY…..OR THEY NEED SOMETHING FIXED…YOU KNOW HOW TO FIX IT….BUT YOU KNOW THEY DON’T WANT TO BUY THE PARTS FOR IT.

DO I HAVE A WITNESS THIS MORNING?

• YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO HELP

• YOU DON’T WANT TO PUT YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION

• THEY ALWAYS CALL ON YOU TO HELP WHEN THEY MESS UP

YOU WANT TO MAKE AN EXCUSE NOT TO HELP BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY……

AND FBC……DON’T KNOW YOU….IN THIS WORLD OF SMART PHONES THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY…THAT THERE IS AN APP FOR THAT…… SOMEONE MADE AN APP THAT GENERATES EXCUSES……NOW DON’T YOU ALL GO TO YOUR APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY TO LOOK FOR IT….

TO ME IT’S AMAZING THAT THERE IS AN APP WE COULD USE TO GET OUT OF HELPING.

YOU COULD GO RIGHT TO YOUR PHONE AND CLICK THE APP AND THERE WOULD BE A READY MADE EXCUSE NOT TO HELP ONE ANOTHER.

• EXCUSES WHEN YOU ARE ASKED, “CAN YOU HELP SERVE?”

• YOU CAN GO TO THIS APP, AND RESPOND I HAVE A ‘MEETING ON THAT DAY’

• YOU CAN GO TO THIS APP, AND RESPOND I HAVE ALREADY MADE PLANS TO BE OUT OF TOWN ON THAT DATE

• YOU CAN GO TO THIS APP, AND RESPOND I HAVE ALREADY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THAT DATE AND TIME

• BUT TRUTH BE TOLD ….MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS….

AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, IS THIS HOW WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES?

• ARE WE TO SAY YES TO CHRIST, BUT NO TO THE REST OF THE WORLD?

• ARE WE TO SAY YES TO HEAVEN, BUT NO TO OUR BROTHERS/SISTERS WHEN THEY HAVE A NEED?

LET US EXAMINE OUR TEXT AND ALLOW IT TO SPEAK TO US THIS MORNING.

LET’S VISUALIZE THE IMAGE OF JESUS WASHING FEET; THE PICTURE OF HIM SERVING THOSE AROUND HIM.

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE DOES.

LET’S SET THE CONTEXT FOR THE IMAGE OF LOVING LIKE JESUS.

HOW DO WE DO IT?

ONE OF THE WAYS IS, WE WASH FEET.

OUR PASSAGE THIS MORNING TAKES PLACE THE DAY BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE EMOTION JESUS MUST BE FEELING.

YET, I LOVE WHAT JOHN TELLS US -- “JESUS LOVED THE DISCIPLES TO THE END.”

JESUS KNEW THE DISCIPLES STILL DIDN’T GET WHO HE WAS.

• THEY ARGUED ABOUT WHO WAS THE GREATEST

• THEY ARGUED ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES THEY NEED TO FORGIVE

• AT TIMES THEY SEEMED FAITHLESS AND MOSTLY CLUELESS

• SO, JESUS LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM AT HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS AND WHAT DOES HE SEE

• HE SEES PROUD HEARTS AND FILTHY FEET

LET’S MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE NARRATIVE HERE BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE EVENTS IN BIBLE.

IT WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE JESUS’ BETRAYAL AND CRUCIFIXION.

• IT WAS AN INTENSE TIME IN JESUS’ LIFE

• HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY WAS QUICKLY COMING TO AN EARTHLY END

• JESUS NOW TURNS HIS FULL ATTENTION TO HIS DISCIPLES

I WANT YOU TO USE YOUR SANCTIFIED IMAGINATIONS WITH ME IN THIS SITUATION FOR A MOMENT.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…..WHAT WE MUST UNDERSTAND IS…..

IN THAT CULTURE THE MOST DEMEANING TASK AROUND WAS TO WASH THE GUEST’S FEET.

FOOT-WASHING WAS NEEDED IN PALESTINE.

THE STREETS WERE DUSTY AND PEOPLE WORE SANDALS WITHOUT SOCKS OR STOCKINGS.

IT WAS UP TO THE HOST TO PROVIDE A SERVANT TO WASH A GUEST’S FEET….IF THE HOST DIDN’T IT WAS LOOKED AT A POOR HOSPITALITY….

AND TO KEEP IT REAL WITH YOU……THIS WAS A JOB DONE BY LOWEST SLAVES OR SERVANTS.

BUT IT WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE PEOPLE WORE SANDALS AND DID MOST OF THEIR TRAVEL BY FOOT.

EVEN A SHORT TRIP WOULD MEAN THAT YOU HAVE DUST ON YOUR FEET.

THEY WALKED ALONG TRAILS THAT WERE NOT ONLY DUSTY BUT ALSO CLUTTERED WITH CAMEL AND DONKEY – WELL…YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THOSE ANIMALS DID ALONG THE TRAILS.

PUT IT THIS WAY….

• I’M SURE GUESTS ARRIVED WITH MORE THAN DUST ON THEIR FEET

• IT WAS A COMMON COURTESY FOR THE HOST TO HAVE HIS SERVANT WASH THE GUEST’S FEET AS THEY ENTERED THE HOUSE…

ARE YOU WITH ME FIRST BAPTIST…….(PAUSE)

LISTEN……

JESUS HAD SENT PETER AND JOHN TO PREPARE FOR THEIR MEAL TOGETHER.

• THE FOOD HAD BEEN COOKED

• THE TABLE HAD BEEN SET

• AND I’M SURE THE DISCIPLES THOUGHT THIS MATTER WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AS WELL

• BUT, IT WASN’T!

AS JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES ENTER THE ROOM THEY SEE TOWEL AND WATER BASIN IN THE CORNER.

BUT…..THEY DO NOT SEE A SERVANT TO WASH THEIR FEET.

PERHAPS SOME OF THEM PAUSE AS THEY ENTER THE ROOM, WONDERING WHERE THE SERVANT WAS—MAYBE WONDERING WHY PETER AND JOHN HAD NOT TAKEN CARE OF THIS IMPORTANT DETAIL.

AS THEY RECLINE AT THE TABLE, EACH DISCIPLE FEELS A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE.

I CAN IMAGINE THAT A FEW OF THE DISCIPLES THOUGT……

“SOMEBODY OUGHT TO AT LEAST WASH JESUS FEET.”

• BUT—IF I DO THAT, WHERE WILL THAT PUT ME ON THE SOCIAL PECKING ORDER?

• I WOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HEAP

• IF I VOLUNTEER I’LL GET STUCK WITH THAT JOB FROM NOW ON

• MAYBE IF I JUST WAIT—SOMEBODY ELSE WILL DO IT

IF I CAN BE REAL WITH YOU THIS MORNING…..WE CAN BE LIKE THAT AT CHURCH…..WE DON’T VOLUNTEER…..AND WE HOPE SOMEONE ELSE WILL….

• I THINK MAYBE EACH DISCIPLE WAS HOPING ONE OF OTHERS WOULD VOLUNTEER

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS……

IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE.

THE HOST WOULD NEVER WASH THE FEET OF THE GUEST; THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO HUMILIATING.

THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A SERVANT WHO WOULD COME AND WASH THE FEET, THE HOST WOULDN’T DO IT, BECAUSE, LET'S BE HONEST – FEET CAN BE KIND OF SWEATY AND SMELLY AT TIMES.

• IMAGINE IF I CAME TO YOUR HOUSE.

"HEY, PASTOR.

WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

COULD I GET YOU SOMETHING TO DRINK?”

• HERE TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, I’LL GIVE YOU A FOOT MASSAGE!"

• BUT, I DON’T THINK ANYONE IN HERE WOULD EVER SAY THAT

• I AM PRETTY SURE, NO ONE WOULD WANT TO TOUCH MY FEET

• THIS WAS A JOB RESERVED FOR THE SERVANT

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE DISCIPLES MUST BE THINKING.

PETER IS PROBALY SILENT FOR ONCE, AND FOR HIM THAT IS RARE, HE IS PROBABLY THINKING –

• WHY ARE THESE GUYS LOOKING AT ME?

• DON’T THESE TURKEYS KNOW AND RECOGNIZE THE CALL OF GOD ON MY LIFE?

• DON’T THEY SEE THE LEADERSHIP GIFTINGS IN ME?

• I JUST WISH THEY WOULD REMEMBER THAT I’M THE ONE WHO ANSWERED JESUS’ QUESTION: “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

• I GOT THE REVELATION—‘YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD’

• I’M MOVING IN THE SPIRIT—DON’T DISTURB THAT ANOINTING OPERATING IN MY LIFE

• I WISH THESE PEOPLE WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT GOD’S DOING IN ME

• IF THEY HAD, THEY WOULD BE OVER HERE RIGHT NOW WASHING MINE AND JESUS’ FEET

WE DON’T KNOW ALL THE SPECIFICS, AND I’M MAKING SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT MIGHT OF HAPPENED THAT EVENING

--BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE ALL KNOW…

WE KNOW THAT NONE OF THE DISCIPLES DECIDED TO WASH FILTHY FEET….

SO, JESUS IS AT THE FINAL MEAL.