Lament and Love

Rev. Todd R. Lattig

THROUGH THE VALLEY • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented 2 months ago

John 3:1–17

Love

Lament

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In both our joys and sorrows, Jesus commands us and shows us how to be a community committed to love in action.

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Scripture Passage

John 13:1–17 (NLT)

1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Focus Statement

In both our joys and sorrows,

Jesus commands us

and shows us how to be a community committed to love in action.

Point of Relation

Being a pastor can be a challenge because you are dealing with people during every step of their lives…

From the cradle to the grave…the pastor’s role is to spiritually care for people.

And I have had to be with people during their most vulnerable times…during the birth of a still born baby, to the death of a 25 year old from cancer, through divorces, addictions, etc.

I remember when I was working as a chaplain at a certain continuing care retirement community just down the hill from us.

I had built a relationship with many people there…

Caring for them and, truthfully, them caring for me.

One such gentleman I’ll call Joe just for the sake of this sermon.

Joe was an amazing guy. He was a cute older man…

Wore a bow tie, had a smile on his face every time you saw him.

Him and his wife both would put a smile on my face every time I saw them.

COMMUNITY. MINISTRY IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.

One day, I received the call I dreaded would happen. Joe was in the hospital, unresponsive, and the family needed me to pray over Joe and be with him.

When I arrived in the room, I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off.

I had a great relationship with him…and this was going to be hard. Plain and simple.

There I stood, silently, looking at Joe lying there in the bed.

I bent over and began to pray aloud for Joe. It was a sincere prayer and I was in tears while praying it.

I prayed for…for Joe to know that God was with him and that…that he was loved and that it is okay to go home with God…that healing comes in that way too.

I prayed for him…for his wife…for his family.

I prayed…and I prayed.

Then, when the prayer was over and I said, “amen” and opened my tear soaked eyes…

I saw Joe looking straight up at me with that familiar smile…

“Pastor, that was the most beautiful prayer.”

I almost fell over! He was not unconscious…or if he was…he was no longer!

I laughed so hard and he laughed too and in the midst of what was a LAMENTABLE situation…

someone I loved was dying….

THERE WAS PEACE…THERE WAS COMMUNITY…THERE WAS HEALING.

Joe did die later that week; however, we shared a moment that actually served me in my moment of grief…as much as I am sure it served him…

Joe was going to be okay…and so would I…

It was a most beautiful death.

Things to Consider

In times of lament, trouble, grief, and great uncertainty,

people have different experiences of community – amazing, bad, non-existent… and everything in between.

This week’s scripture shows us the kind of community Jesus calls us to be

and wants for us, especially in difficult/grief-filled times.

What Scripture Says

While this passage does not deal directly with lament,

Jesus’ words and actions here are deeply relevant to the question

of how we are called to be and act in the midst of sorrow, pain and grief.

Even after this past Sunday’s weeping over Jerusalem and knowing that Judas would be betray him,

Jesus remained committed to love to the end (v. 1).

Think about what else Jesus could have done that night.

He could have left the disciples or just acted as if everything was fine,

but instead he chose to prepare them for the trials and grief they would soon face and for life beyond his death,

through the gifts of foot washing and a new commandment.

Foot washing is an intimate act here.

Jesus was caring for his disciples, teaching them, and passing the mantle to them.

Jesus shows vulnerability in disrobing and humility in getting down and washing someone’s feet.

He does this as one who is both divine and human.

After Jesus’ death on the cross and his return to his friends and disciples,

he shows that vulnerability again in the invitation to see and touch his side.

Human touch is present and part of being in community.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for the kind of community they will need in their grief and as they emerge from it,

one of mutual service and vulnerability.

Jesus models being able to carry the grief about his betrayal through this time –

to carry it and still move forward and serve in love.

Jesus is modeling…but also commanding, “Just as I have done, you must also do,” (v. 14-15 & 34).

In this series, we’ve talked about communal lament.

Jesus is showing here what loving, supportive community looks like.

There is solidarity, willingness to get in the muck with each other (literally getting our hands dirty… and feet clean).

The disciples have been arguing about who is closest to Jesus,

but he is showing them here that none is greater than the other.

There is work to be done, and it is humbling work.

What This Means for You

Friends, Verse 14 gives us our call to action this week.

How can you serve someone else/others with humility?

Pause

The Voice translation of the Bible offers this reflection:

“Within the pain and the filth, there is an opportunity to extend God’s kingdom through an expression of love, humility, and service … When Jesus sees disease, He sees the opportunity to heal. When He sees sin, He sees a chance to forgive and redeem. When He sees dirty feet, He sees a chance to wash them.”

Where do you see opportunity?

Pause

Or where do you see something “wrong” or something you don’t like

and how might you be able to shift and instead see that as an opportunity to love?

Society celebrates beauty and wealth as markers of success.

But let me remind you how God’s community operates on different values,

not avoiding the dirty and humble,

but diving in with an attitude of love, acceptance, and service.

What This Means for Us

Friends, how can our community further embody the values that Jesus displays and teaches in this passage:

loving one another, humility, serving one another?

We are doing the work Christ has called us to…

But we must remember keep our hearts in love with Christ.

It is our love for Christ that will shape us into Christ’s love. Amen?

In times of pain and grief, this is all the more important (and difficult) to live out

as pain can instead often lead us to isolation, competitiveness, defensiveness.

Sisters and brothers,

We can learn to be open and honest about our lament, as Jesus was,

and we can also learn to find opportunities to love amidst the temptation to fight or flight.

Together, we can support each other and discover new ways of serving others…

in love and in humility, making space for all to come, belong, and serve.

Amen? Amen.

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