Hi First Presbyterian Church,
It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up, and the journey through Lent toward Easter continues. In your Pop-Up Fellowship Groups and in worship, we’ve been looking at everyday objects to help open up the meaning of Lent this year. (We've also been looking at these objects during the Lent Learning Sessions at 11:30 each Sunday, which Pastor Jacobson is leading this Sunday.) We’ve looked at bread, the cross, coins, and this Sunday’s object will be shoes. I’ve been incorporating the object-of-the-week into each Sunday’s service, and this Sunday I’ll be incorporating shoes into worship – specifically, YOUR shoes. At the beginning of Sunday’s worship, you are going to be invited to take your shoes off. Ok, I realize that some of you might be gasping aloud to even imagine taking your shoes off at church, which is why I’m telling you now that this will be a totally voluntary aspect of worship. You should feel free to come to worship and leave your footwear on your feet, but the invitation to remove your shoes will be offered to you. Read Exodus 3:1-6 between now and Sunday, and you will understand the rationale behind this sacred act.
Before Sunday, as you reflect on what sort of theological meaning may be attached to shoes, allow me to refer you to two passages of scripture where shoes play a prominent role: Luke 3:16 and John 13:5. In the passage from Luke, we see that all the people who were receiving baptism from John the Baptist wondered if he was the Messiah. John the Baptist tells them that he is simply preparing the way for Jesus – the Messiah – whose sandals he isn’t even worthy to untie. It was customary during the first century for people to remove their sandals before coming indoors. Sandals were open-toed, and the streets were filthy; so it was also customary for a “lowly” member of the household (often a servant) to remove the sandals from a guest’s feet and wash their feet with water. John the Baptist was saying that he wasn’t even worthy to be a servant to Jesus, the esteemed Messiah. Now fast-forward to the passage from John 13:5 in which we see Jesus himself washing the feet of his disciples during their evening meal. What a statement Jesus was making!
Jesus once said, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). John the Baptist – the greatest among all us mere mortals – didn’t feel worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. Yet, Jesus – the Son of God – believed it was necessary for him to wash his disciples’ feet, in order to demonstrate that true godliness is shown through humility and service. After Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he told them, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Friends, do you want to be great and make an incredible impact in the world? Then, quietly and compassionately serve your neighbor. That’s Jesus’ definition of greatness, which is surely good enough for us.
Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron