Action that Demands a Response
By Grant Gaines
Of the many themes of the Bible, forgiveness most certainly makes the “Mount Rushmore” of our faith. And of course as Christians we are told that, “…[Jesus] is [our] example, and [we] must follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21, NLT) in every aspect of our lives. So how can we demonstrate a Jesus-like forgiveness in our daily lives? We follow His example from John 13.
As we look at the context of John 13, we find ourselves at the beginning of the Last Supper the night before Jesus would die on the cross. And as you begin to read the beginning of the chapter, you quickly stumble across a sobering fact that leaps off the page – “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus” (John 13:2, NIV, bold mine).
That’s right, one of Jesus’s closets friends over the past three years was about to wrongfully betray Him which would result in Jesus’s death on the cross – that’s a pretty serious false accusation wouldn’t you agree? And it would be one thing if Judas had betrayed Jesus behind His back without His knowledge, but John 13:11 (NIV) tells us that, “[Jesus] knew who was going to betray Him….” And to put the cherry on top of the sad saga, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power…” (John 13:3, NIV). In other words, Jesus knew that He was going to be betrayed by Judas and He had all the power in the world, literally, to do something about it.
That’s what it takes to offer forgiveness. You must be wronged, know that you were wronged, and then have the power to do something about it. Without any one of those elements present, forgiveness is not possible.
So how did Jesus respond to Judas’s act of treason? He washed his feet (John 13:5). You read that correctly – Jesus washed Judas’s feet. The man who had the audacity to walk with, “…image of the invisible God…” (Colossians 1:15, NIV) for three years and then slander His reputation didn’t receive the wrath he deserved, but rather forgiveness in the form of a “pedicure”.
Does that make you feel uncomfortable? Maybe a little upset? “That’s not fair!” You may reason. “Why would Jesus forgive that guy? If anyone deserved to die on the cross, it was Judas! He’s the liar. He’s the sellout. He’s the people pleaser. He’s the sinner!” I believe that’s the emotions the author intended us to have as we read this story. I believe that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John wanted you and I to hate Judas and be enraged at the thought of a guilty man like Judas getting served and forgiven by our blameless Savior.
And most importantly, I believe that as we study this passage of Scripture closely, scales begin to fall off the eyes of our hearts as we begin to see that the man that we hate, Judas, is an awful lot like us.
Judas betrayed Jesus for a few dollars because of the peer pressure from the religious leaders. Do we not betray God every time we sin for a few moments of temporary pleasure because it’s what “everyone” is doing? Jesus knew that Judas had betrayed Him (John 13:11). God knows that we have sinned against Him (1 John 1:10). Jesus had the power to do something about Judas’s betrayal (John 13:3). God has the power to do something about our betrayal (Matthew 10:28).
And yet, despite our rebellious actions towards a holy God who cannot remain in the presence of sin (1 John 1:5), Jesus gives us the same treatment He gave to Judas – He cleanses us of our filth. In Judas’s case, his filth was in the form of the dirt, mud, and sweat that covered his feet. In our case, our filth is in the form of the sin we have committed which has a price tag of death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) written all over it. Jesus washed Judas’s filth with water. Jesus washes our filth with His atoning blood (Hebrews 9:22).
Now aren’t you thankful that Jesus washed Judas’s feet!? But an attitude of thankfulness is not the only response we should have to this story. You see, after washing Judas and His disciples’ feet, Jesus commanded His followers (which includes you and me), “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15, NIV). In other words, when you’re in a position where you have been wronged by someone and you have the power to take vengeance on that person, guess how you are to respond – with love and forgiveness.
That’s why we are instructed in Colossians 3:13 (NLT) to, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Forgiveness is not an option, it’s a command. Forgiven people forgive people.
Have you been wronged recently? Has someone gossiped about you, failed to keep a promise, or just simply hurt your feelings?
As tough of a pill it may be to swallow to forgive that person who has no earthly right to be forgiven, it’s what we as Christians have been commanded to do. And after giving us the example of forgiving even the worst of offenders, Jesus assures us that, “Now that [we] know these things, [we] will be blessed if [we] do them” (John 13:17, NIV). Now that you know that you should forgive, you will be blessed if you do it.
Of course on the flip side of that promise is a warning because if Jesus promises us that we will be blessed if we forgive people, what does that mean if we don’t forgive people? No blessing.
Blessing or no blessing, God puts the choice into your hands. What are you going to choose today?
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.[1]”
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
