"When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, 'Do you know what I have done for you? You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.'" (John 13:12-15 CSB)
Jesus is the Great Contrast. From the moment He arrived on the scene, He did the opposite of what was expected. But He never did it just to be radical; He did it to be relational.
Royalty kept itself to the palace, but Jesus walked ordinary streets and ate in people's homes.
Kings had servants who bowed at their feet, but Jesus was a servant who washed others' feet.
People hated Jesus, but He loved them.
People cursed Jesus, but He blessed them.
And then there was the contrast between Jesus the Teacher and the teachers of the law.
"'Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.'
"Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on'" (Mark 12:38-44 NLT).
The teachers of the law taught show, shallow sacrifice, and legalism.
The Teacher of the law of love taught humility, heart-level sacrifice, and true worship.
What are we to learn from this Teacher today? How, when, and where do we apply those lessons?
I want to do well on this test, because I want my life to be a contrast, too, between who I was before I took this Teacher's class and who I can be if I learn well from Him.
And the reward...the grade? Better than any gold star or A+: the crown of life, bestowed by the Teacher who first wore a crown of thorns.
The teachers of the law taught show, shallow sacrifice, and legalism.
The Teacher of the law of love taught humility, heart-level sacrifice, and true worship.
What are we to learn from this Teacher today? How, when, and where do we apply those lessons?
I want to do well on this test, because I want my life to be a contrast, too, between who I was before I took this Teacher's class and who I can be if I learn well from Him.
And the reward...the grade? Better than any gold star or A+: the crown of life, bestowed by the Teacher who first wore a crown of thorns.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!