Re: John 13:8

“Commentators have debated the meaning of Jesus’ response, ‘Unless I wash you, you have not part with me.’ The context suggests that ‘wash’ (nipto) must refer to the washing of feet, but some believe that a double meaning is present. Morris believes the words point to a ‘washing free from sin.’ Tenney interprets Jesus to refer to the need for ‘cleansing’ Peter’s personality to make him fit for the kingdom. Westcott argues that Jesus is referring to ‘self-surrender” as the first condition of discipleship. Students of Scripture must avoid such speculation and interpret the passage quite literally.“¹

Re; John 3:10

“Many expositors interpret 13:10 to teach the need for confession and cleansing from sin. … Granted, there is a difference between the Greek words translated ‘washed’ and ‘bathed.’ ‘Washed’ (louo) speaks of washing the entire body, whereas ‘bathed’ (nipto) usually refers to washing a part of the body. But what logic compels the interpreter to see spiritual cleansing as the point of the passage? Although the bathing and washing imagery could well illustrate the teaching of Titus 3:5 and 1 John 1:9, spiritual cleansing from sin is not the point of this passage.”²

“A foundational principle of hermeneutics is, ‘Do not add to the interpretation when an explanation is given in the text.’ Another helpful guide is ‘Always prefer the clear meaning over an obscure interpretation.’ Applying these principles to John 13:4-11 one discovers in Jesus’ own explanation (13:12-20) that the foot washing teaches a simple but profound lesson concerning the humble service each believer ought to pursue.”³

My response:

While I am still working through the passage, I appreciate Laney’s admonition. If we are left to guess the meaning, we may come up with many interpretations. It is usually better to take the Scripture literally unless otherwise noted. Stick with what the passage is saying and you will find the meaning.

by Andy Rupert

1 – The disciples and Jesus were passing a man
Who had never been able to see
Was this the result of the parents or man
Who had sinned so egregiously?

Je-sus responded and had to explain
That the fault was from neither of those
In God’s perfect mind this misfortune was planned
To showcase the good works that He chose

With hope for the man Jesus spat on the ground
and mixed it with dirt to make clay
When applied to the eyes of the suffering man
To the pool he was soon sent away

When the clay was removed the man’s eyes had been healed
His reaction was filled with such bliss
As he smiled with his eyes open wide to the world
He must have said something like this

Chorus:
Jesus has healed me and now I can see
The Light of the world gave me sight
I sat long in darkness alone in my sin
But Jesus has given me light

2 – The people who’d known him for many a year
Were surprised when they saw the man free
They asked was it truly the man who was blind
What had happened they couldn’t agree

The Pharisees heard him but doubted his tale
Until both of his parents appeared
And verified yes that this man was their son
But they wouldn’t say more for they feared

The Pharisees questioned where Jesus was from
For he’d healed this poor man on a rest day
He must be a sinner for sure they assumed
Then they asked the healed man what he’d say

It seems quite amazing the poor man replied
My eyes have been healed but you thought
That this man was a beast after what He has done
He’s from God if you like it or not

Chorus:
Jesus has healed me and now I can see
The Light of the world gave me sight
I sat long in darkness alone in my sin
But Jesus has given me light

3 – Now can you imagine the words that were said
As the Pharisees gave out a shout?
They accused him of teaching when they were in charge
And presently cast the man out

When Jesus had heard that the man was outcast
He asked him a question to know
If the man recognized Him as God’s only Son
Or if there still was something to show

When the man realized that the One talking there
Was more than a man, He was God
He cried out in faith and fell down at His feet
He chose then to worship the Lord

Je-sus noted the difference between the two groups
Some were blind but thought they could see
They sadly remained in the grip of their sin
If only they’d come to believe

Chorus:
Jesus has healed me and now I can see
The Light of the world gave me sight
I sat long in darkness alone in my sin
But Jesus has given me light

by Andy Rupert

The soldier who fought in battles galore
And was known for his valiant stand
Was constantly looking for dangers abroad
As he finally returned to the land

But having returned with his life now at ease
And his family and friends all around him
They slowly convinced him that what he had feared
Was now just a memory behind him

But when he relaxed and forgot ‘bout the danger
The enemy quickly assembled
The soldier who’d always protected the people
No longer a hero resembled

The lesson to learn from this soldier in armor
Who forgot that the danger was there
Is to always be ready and watch like a sentry
Don’t sit back but always prepare

As the Word
was proclaimed
and the Spirit led
Were their eyes full of hope
as their spirit was fed
In the end will their soul
be brought back from the dead
Now we wait for what God will do

When they came
to the church
how we hoped they’d stay
Would they hear
what God said
or walk quickly away
How we’d prayed for each soul
who had come here that day
Now we wait for what God will do

Some will leave
some will stay
we may not know why
So we preach
so we pray
and we always must try
For eternity looms
on the day that they die
Now we wait for what God will do

“The episode of the woman, covering the first eleven verses, is not found in some of the better manuscripts. As I am sure you know, our English Bibles are translated from the original languages. The New Testament was first written in the Greek language. Extant manuscripts were used to compile a Greek New Testament; then our English translations were made from that. The Greek text of Westcott and Hort omits the incident of the woman taken in adultery from its position in the eight chapter of John but inserts it at the end of that gospel. Nestle’s Greek text includes it but encloses it in brackets. Augustine writes that it was omitted because of a prudish fear that it would encourage adultery. However, if you read the account carefully, we will see that it does not condone sin. Rather, it condemns sin. We have both a scholarly and moral basis for considering it part of the inspired Word of God.”

–J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol IV. Matthew through Romans, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983, p. 414.

A professional calligrapher once told me that his best work was done at night when he was relaxed. That seems to be my best time, too. It may be while working late, when I can’t get to sleep, or when something is on my mind. When it comes to music, this has happened several times. At times, I have written lyrics that seemed to fit a beautiful tune someone else composed. And less often, I have composed my own melody with lyrics. Both have been an enjoyable exercise in creativity. While none have become big hits, I enjoy going back and listening to them occasionally. Tonight was one of those times.

“I’ll Be There”

Being away for work was difficult for my family. But that didn’t change the way I felt about my wife. When I heard Per-Olov Kindgren’s song, “I’ll Be There,” it prompted me to write lyrics and a counter melody about my desire to always be there for her.

“You Make Me Smile”

If you have been in a long-term relationship, you know that love is often filled with conflicting emotions. This love song celebrates the relationship while acknowledging the ups and downs. The tune is based on Per-Olov Kindgren’s “Xiexie (For Miya).” After writing the lyrics, I hired someone from Fiverr.com to sing this one and was happy with the results.

“All I Meant to Say”

When I first heard the tune, I was entranced. It made me think of someone who held back his true feelings and missed the opportunity to share them with the woman he loved. Later, when I played it for some friends, someone mentioned that the words could also refer to someone who had lost a spouse. I hadn’t thought of that until then. The tune is based on “All You Have to Say” by Per-Olov Kindgren.

“You and I”

This is a special song for me. I wrote the lyrics and tune to celebrate my relationship with my wife. Each verse talks about a different stage of our relationship including the first date, the wedding, and the beauty of our continued relationship. I surprised her by having it arranged for four-part harmony and then having someone make a multitrack recording for our 30th anniversary.

I haven’t written any other love songs recently. But I was intrigued by Bailey Pickles’ tune “For Alice” composed from three notes given to him by a little girl. The original short showed the little girl’s video playing three notes on a piano and then asking him to create a song from them. It certainly is beautiful, but lyrics will have to wait. Perhaps another late night will provide me with enough inspiration to write lyrics for his song.

Early one morning, I was awakened by a coworker whose vehicle had broken down. As a manager, this required me to get up quite a bit earlier than intended to rescue the other person. As you can imagine, this unplanned event disrupted what I had been planning on doing that day. But it was necessary to help the other person, so I did it. As you go through your day, do you ever consider whether something is actually necessary before you do it? Or are you so bound to your schedule that nothing can pry you away from it? Perhaps our Scripture passage will help us to discover what is really necessary for each of us.

1. What does it say? (Luke 10:38-42)

   Something happened as Jesus traveled to a certain village. A woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. While Jesus was there, her sister Mary sat at His feet and listened to what He said. But Martha was very distracted by serving people. She was a bit perturbed and asked Jesus why He didn’t care that Mary had left her to do all the work. She wanted Him to tell her sister to get up and help her. Jesus responded by saying her name twice. He then told her that a lot of things were bothering her, but there was one thing that was necessary. Mary had chosen that and it would not be taken away from her.

2. What does it mean?

   When Jesus traveled from city to city, where would He stay? We have record of him eating at the home of a Pharisee and a tax collector. He stayed at Peter’s house at one point and also at Martha’s house. It must have been very interesting to eat with and talk with Jesus in such an informal setting. In this passage, we see that Jesus was doing more than small talk. He seems to have been teaching those who were there. So, how did the people in the house respond? We shall see.

   Mary was focused on listening to Jesus (Luke 10:39).

   As Jesus spoke, Mary sat down by Jesus’ feet and listened to what He was saying. When we have people over to the house, we allow them to sit in chairs. So, it may seem strange for this woman to have sat by Jesus’ feet as she listened to Him. Was this a symbol of her humility? Or was it the way that students listened to their teachers back then? I don’t know. But as she sat by His feet, she listened to everything He was saying. And being so focused on His teaching, she could think of nothing else. Her sister Martha noticed this.

   Martha was focused on serving people (Luke 10:40).

   As Jesus spoke, Martha was busy doing something different. She was distracted by her responsibilities of serving her guests. Perhaps dinner was being served or the table was being set. Whatever the case, Martha was too distracted to listen to what Jesus was saying. Why was she so distracted? The only people mentioned in the passage are Mary, Martha, and Jesus. However, the fact that she was distracted from listening and wanted her sister to help her indicates that there were others in the house who required her attention. With so much to do, she was irked that Mary was sitting down, listening to Jesus, and not helping her serve. This led her to ask why Jesus didn’t care that she had been left alone to serve. She wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Being so focused on serving, she was unable to focus on what Jesus was teaching.

   Jesus made it clear which one was necessary (Luke 10:41-42).

   Jesus’ response makes us smile. He mentioned her name twice and you can imagine how he said. He probably smiled and said, “Martha, Martha…”. This was His way of gently correcting her focus. She was so focused on all the things needing to be done that she became anxious and bothered. And that came out in her complaint against Jesus and Mary. So, He corrected her by saying that one thing was necessary. Of all the things that could be done right at that moment, there was only one that was really necessary. And that was the thing that Mary had chosen to do. She was listening to what Jesus was teaching and He refused to take that privilege away from her. Martha and Mary had been focused on things that were important, but only one was truly necessary. That was listening to what Jesus said and learning from Him.

3. How does it apply?

   What is it that you tend to focus on?

   Martha was focused on something that was good. She was serving the people whom she had welcomed into her home. That wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was good for her to cook a meal, set the table, sweep the living room, and prepare the guest room. The problem was that she made that more important than what was truly necessary at the moment. She should have been focused on what was necessary and left the others to be completed at another time.

   Whether you are an aspiring politician with a busy schedule, a mother with young children, or a retired person, there are always things that seem to hold our attention. A politician is focused on getting his message out in many campaigns. A mother is constantly multi-tasking trying to keep the children inline and housework done. A retired person may be constantly thinking about the family and the future. In any case, Jesus wants us to make sure to focus on the things that really matter. And because of that, we should guard ourselves against becoming anxious and bothered about things that aren’t quite as important as we are led to believe.

   What is truly necessary for you to focus on?

   Martha wanted Mary to get up and start helping her with serving their guests. But Jesus said that Mary was already doing what was necessary. It wasn’t just better to do that. It was necessary. So, what did Jesus consider to be necessary? It was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to what He said. We aren’t told what Jesus was talking about. But He considered what He was teaching and what Mary was hearing to be necessary. Listening to what Jesus taught was a necessity at that moment.

   Sometimes, like Martha, we get into a busy mode that makes certain things seem very necessary. But during those times, we need to focus on what is truly necessary. Do you make reading the Bible a necessity during your day? Do you think that preaching and teaching are necessary for you? From what Jesus said to Mary and Martha, we ought to make learning from Him one of the necessary parts of each day. That may require removing some things from your daily schedule to make room for what is necessary. And it may take some time to make it a habit. But only you can make it become a necessity for your daily walk with God. Will you?

Conclusion

After hearing this message tonight, we will be thrust back into our daily schedule. Let’s make sure that we focus on what is necessary for our daily, spiritual growth. As we spend time reading the Bible, meditating on it, and applying it to our lives, we will see how right Jesus was. We need to learn from Jesus. So, be sure to make the study of God’s truth as revealed in the Bible to be a necessary part of your life.

Bibliography

Geldenhuys, Norval, The Gospel of Luke, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Martin, John A., “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.

If you had been to heathen lands
Where weary souls stretch out their hands
To plead, yet no one understands,
Would you go back? Would you?

If you had seen the women bear
Their heavy loads, with none to share
Had heard them weep, with none to care,
Would you go back? Would you?

If you had seen them in despair
Beat their breasts and pull their hair
While demon powers filled the air,
Would you go back? Would you?

If you had seen the glorious sight
When heathen people seeking right
Had turned from darkness to the light,
Would you go back? Would you?

If you had walked through Afric’s sand
Your hand within the Saviour’s hand
And knew He’d called you to that land,
Would you go back? Would you?

Yet still they wait, that weary throng.
They’ve waited, some, so very long.
When shall despair be turned to song?
I’m going back. Wouldn’t you?

– Author unknown

Quirinius (51 BC – AD 21) is mentioned in the Bible as someone who governed Syria around the time that Jesus was born (Luke 2:2). Historians state that he governed Syria in 6 AD. However, this date conflicts with what Matthew says about the birth of Jesus. If you recall, Herod was the king who was visited by the magi (Matt. 2:1-12) after Jesus’ birth. He later ordered the murder of all baby boys near Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16-18) to keep the newborn from usurping his throne. Here is the supposed contradiction. Historians say that Herod died in AD 4 … before Quirinius governed Syria. This has led some to say that Luke made an error in mentioning Quirinius as the governor during Caesar Augustus’ census. How could Jesus have been born during the rule of Qurinius (AD 6) and also before the death of Herod in AD 4?

Before you start questioning the accuracy of the Bible, consider that Luke wrote his gospel shortly after the events had taken place. Archaeologists are dealing with these events thousands of years after the events took place. So, it would be wise to not jump to rapid conclusions. Do you think that God inspired the writers of Scripture and then allowed them to write down error? That doesn’t make sense. When Luke wrote these statements about the birth of Christ, they were meant to point out when it happened by mentioning people and events that his original readers would have been familiar with. So, let’s give Luke the benefit of the doubt and look for solutions to this supposed contradiction.

While thinking through this topic, I came across an online article entitled, Quirinius: An Archaeological Biography. The author quotes a number of historical sources which mention Quirinius and then gives good advice about how to approach this supposed contradiction. Although I am unfamiliar with him or his group, I appreciate his research and conclusions. I also found a good response from Norval Geldenhuys in his commentary, The Gospel of Luke, pp. 104-06. Perhaps you will find these to be helpful as well.

“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.” —Jonah 2:7

The person who penned those words was none other than the runaway prophet Jonah. God had commissioned him to preach a message of judgment to the wicked people of Nineveh. But Jonah was unwilling to obey. When he took a boat in the opposite direction, God got his attention with a fierce storm. When the sailors found out he was the problem, they cast him into the sea, but his troubles were far from over. A great fish swallowed him whole, and he lay inside it for 3 days. This was the trouble that caused him to faint, but it also caused him to remember the Lord.

Jonah’s situation was worse than you can imagine. He was entombed inside a great fish, lying in digestive fluids, in complete darkness, and had little possibility of escaping alive. But this horrific situation caused him to remember the only One who could help him. And when he called out to the Lord, God heard and answered his prayer. What happened next can be found at the end of the chapter. Suffice it to say, that Jonah lived to tell the story.

If your soul is fainting within you today, follow the example of Jonah. Let your troubles push you toward the only One who can really help. Remember the Lord. He is your Creator, Sustainer, and Helper. He can carry you through your difficulty. He can put you back on your feet again. Remember Him. Talk to Him. Trust Him.