Thursday, April 9, 2020

Reflection on John 13:1-17, 31b-35




What would you do for those you love? 

Would you wash them when they are dirty, especially when they are unable to wash themselves? 

Maybe, love looks like a father giving a two year old a bath, or an adult child washing off the crippled, arthritic joints of their failing parent. 

Maybe, love looks like a Savior bending down to wash some dirty feet, or reaching in and cleaning off a dirty soul.

What would you do for those you love? 

Would you feed the ones who do not deserve it? 

Maybe, love looks like inviting your enemy to your dinner table…inviting the robber to sit down and have their fill of ham, mashed potatoes, and cupcakes frosted lovingly and carefully to look like Easter eggs. 

Maybe, love looks like a Savior who sits at the table and eats with the one who betrayed him.

What would you do for those you love? 

Would you choose to take the punishment that was clearly headed someone else’s way? 

Maybe, love looks like the kid who takes the punishment due a friend so that the friend, who rarely gets a break in life, can go outside and play at recess.  Maybe love look like a priest who gives up his ventilator, and his life, in order to save the young man who is suffering the complications from a world crippling illness. 

Maybe, love looks like a Savoir who gets up from the table, gets up from the anguishing prayers of the garden, and goes to the cross, taking on our death so that we may have life.  Maybe, love looks like a savior who dies for his friends; a savior who dies for the world.

What would you do if you knew you were loved?  What would you do if you knew that the love you were given would never disappear?  What would you do if you knew that you would never be snatched away from the hand of the one who loved you? 

Maybe, such love would become a part of your life.  Maybe, such love would become a part of who you are.  Maybe, you would love others just as your Savoir loved you.  Maybe, the world could live at peace, resting in the love of Jesus Christ our Savoir.

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