What You Love Reveals Your Heart

When we were in PNG, we learned a lot of things about PNG culture that were pretty foreign to us. But I think the cultural phenomenon that was the most difficult for me to wrap my head around was the heretical cult movement in PNG called Kago Kult, ‘Cargo Cult.’

Kago Kult is pretty difficult to pin down, and I still don’t fully understand it. The best explanation that I’ve received so far was from a close PNGan friend of ours, but it was so bizzarre that I had to make every effort not to let my jaw gape open as he told me his beliefs. This man proceeded to inform me that a Bible translator had come to his language group, learned their language, and then went back to the mission center and wrote a really good story about their culture. That story was called the Bible. Then, he proceeded to show me how the Bible is really just a clever allegory about his people’s culture and history.

Cain and Abel are two PNG brothers named Kilibob and Manup. Kilibob, the younger brother, was jealous of Manup’s wife, so they got into a fight. Manup, being stronger, ran Kilibob away. Kilibob hopped in a boat with his son, Kilibob Jr., and used his magic to turn the canoe into a giant boat, which he then used to sail across the ocean to Israel. Kilibob Jr. stayed in Israel and used his magic to found Western Civilization. Meanwhile, back in PNG, Manup was forbidden to use his magic. This explains why we Westerners have such advanced civilizations while PNG was in the stone age until the mid 1900s.

In this system of thinking, white people are often thought to be the spirits of their deceased ancestors who have returned to bring them kago—material goods. So, naturally, white people are welcome. In fact, they—and their Christian beliefs—might just be the key to unlocking the source of power that gave Western civilization the upper hand.

The belief system is complex and includes a lot more than what I’ve said here, but at its root, Kago Kult is the PNG form of the prosperity gospel. Christianity is welcomed in, not because it offers a way to receive pardon for sins and reconciliation with God, but because it is seen as the source of power and prosperity.

We might scratch our heads over the bizzarre nature of this belief, but the fact is, we have our own version right here in America. We serve a God who humbled himself by becoming human, lived like a homeless refugee, and then allowed himself to be crucified unjustly. Yet, there are people who proclaim to follow him that think he is the key to financial prosperity and political power! Talk about irony...

FCF: As fallen people, our hearts are idol factories, constantly churning out a new object of our affections.

Main Idea: But Scripture shows us, especially here in John 13, that what we love reveals our hearts. We either love the world and betray Christ, or we set our hearts on God and loving other people.

Read John 13

Prayer for Illumination

Transition: John 13 teaches us that what we love reveals our hearts. You can either love God and people, or you can love the world.

Love of the World is incompatible with love for God and people.

One of the ways people love the world is by loving money and what it provides

Love of money = love for what money provides

Security—independence; not needing to depend upon anyone else

Prestige—the pride of having others look up to you

Comfort—the ability to obtain whatever makes life more comfortable and enjoyable

You don’t have to be rich to be infected with love of money.

This was the great stumblingblock for Judas

Up until his betrayal of Christ, no one suspected that Judas was not a true follower of Jesus.

He was a trusted disciple—entrusted with the disciple’s treasury. He was commissioned by Jesus and went out and healed the sick, cast out demons, etc. When the disciples and Jesus wandered from town to town, Judas was there. When Jesus fed the 5,000, walked on the water, raised Lazarus from the dead, Judas was there.

But the more Judas came to understand Jesus’ true mission, the more uncomfortable he became. Jesus clearly had power; so why didn’t he use it? Why didn’t he oust the Romans? Why did he humbly pay taxes? Why did he insist on ministering to the poor, the lowly, and even to Gentiles? And why did he keep talking about dying? That wasn’t what Judas had signed up for.

He couldn’t fathom the “waste” of money that Mary displayed when she anointed Jesus with $50,000 worth of perfume.

John 12:3–6 ESV

3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Matthew’s gospel seems to indicate that this was the tipping point for Judas. Right after this anointing, Matthew tells us:

Matthew 26:14–16 ESV

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

But the final straw was the foot-washing here in John 13:1-30.

No conquering king worthy of respect would ever humiliate himself like that. (vv. 1-5)

Jesus wasn’t who he thought. Jesus kept talking about crucifixion and speaking in parables. This ship was sinking and Judas wasn’t going down with this boat.

John 13:30 ESV

30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

So, Judas creeps off at night, when the darkness outside matches the darkness inside his heart.

But Judas wasn’t alone...

Many who profess faith in Christ show their true fruits when faith conflicts with material comfort.

Prosperity Gospel is an attempt to have it both ways—to use Jesus as a means to money.

Rich man whom Jesus sends away

Luke 18:18–23 ESV

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Demas, who deserted Paul

2 Timothy 4:9–10 ESV

9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

Illustration of modern Christians who refuse to be discomforted to follow Christ.

Another way people love the World is by loving Power.

This was most of the disciples’ great stumblingblock

James and John

Matthew 20:20–28 ESV

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 9:51–55 ESV

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them.

It’s no coincidence that the passage which follows this presents a picture of true discipleship which would scare off anyone seeking power in the name of Christ:

Luke 9:56–62 ESV

56 And they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Simon the “Zealot” (not Peter), one of the twelve apostles

Luke 6:15 ESV

15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

Acts 1:13 ESV

13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, identifies the Zealots as a freedom-fighter political movement.

He records that they were responsible for the insurrection that ultimately led to the sacking of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Recent Scholarship

Hengel characterizes this movement as one that demanded a total separation from Hellenistic encroachments. It emphasized the purity of the temple, a rigorous and precise understanding of the law, a readiness to fight enemies both external and internal to Judaism, and a willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the cause. Phinehas and Elijah were historic exemplars for the movement, and Hengel traces continuity from the earlier Maccabean revolt through the more radical elements of first century BC Pharisaism.

Bible scholars and historians are divided on whether or not Simon “the Zealot” is a reference to his membership in this group, or simply a description of his character “zealous.”

Regardless, you can certainly see the influence of the Zealots and their ideology amongst the disciples, even amongst Simon Peter.

John 13:37 ESV

37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

If Peter was willing to lay down his life for Jesus, why did he deny Jesus and flee?

Because Peter envisioned dying in battle, not the indignity and humiliation of the cross.

1st Century messianic expectations

Jews were eagerly awaiting the restoration of the ‘glory days’ of Israel

Many expected the Messiah to be a military figure. Like Joshua, he would conquer the pagans in the land and set up worship of Yahweh. Like David, he would unite the people of Israel into a nation free of foreign rule.

Jesus’ name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” or “Joshua,” but he didn’t come to save his people from their enemies, but to save his people from their sins.

2,000 years later, many American Christians still think God will bring about the Kingdom through political revolution

We don’t like being bullied by pagans

We want to see our nation honoring God—that’s a good thing

But many Christians have fallen victim to the ideology that God is going to bring about his Kingdom through the American political process. The thinking goes like this:

If my people, who are called by my name, will

Elect politicians and judges who are pro-life

pass laws that support biblical morality

and force the pagans around them to live in line with basic Christian moral principles...

English Standard Version Chapter 7

then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We’ve completely re-written 2 Chronicles 7:14 in our minds!

The Kingdom of God comes through washing feet

Through humble service to both friends and foes

Jesus washed Judas’s feet. He washed the feet of the man who was about to hand him over to be humiliated, flogged, and crucified.

Do you wash the feet of your spouse? Your children? Your neighbors?

Could you wash the feet of your political enemy?

Think of the person who has wronged you the most deeply. Who has mistreated, belittled, and harmed you the most. Could you wash their feet?

Sometimes I think it would be easier to die for my faith once than to die to self every day. Sometimes being a martyr seems easier than washing feet.

“The trouble with life is that it’s so daily.” (Unknown)

Washing feet doesn’t seem like a good way to bring in the Kingdom of God. It’s perhaps even more absurd than marching around a city seven times with trumpets.

“Sure, service and love for others works well within the Church, but we can’t just let pagans walk all over us! We’ve got to stand up for our rights!”

But the Jesus on the cross tells a different story. It was through love and self-sacrifice that Jesus brought in the Kingdom of God and changed the world.

Through loving one another

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Taking care of each other’s needs

Bearing each other’s burdens

Helping one another battle sin

Conclusion

Love for the world often doesn’t look like what you’d expect. It’s not just rich and powerful people who struggle with it, all of us do. We all fall prey to wanting life to be more comfortable and easy, to wanting more power and control over our surroundings. But loving God means abandoning our desire to control things and instead, humbly donning the towel and washing feet.

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