Post by rmcdra on Apr 5, 2015 12:29:32 GMT -5
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
The first paragraph is detailing events that the reader is expected to know is going to happen in the story. Being a theological text in a narrative form, none of this should be surprising to the reader. The author is comparing leaving the world to leaving Egypt by making a parallel to the Passover feast. While the text uses “devil”, “accuser” would be more appropriate given that I see Judas as being a metaphor for the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah had become so blinded by legalism that they were overtaken by the spirit of the accuser and were looking to scapegoat Jesus to prove that their laws were God. The last two verses illustrates the Christ's role, that Christ will bring about a new beginning, as mentioned in John 1, the world was created through the Word and that this role is temporary for Jesus. His taking off of his garments is symbolic of him removing his “fleshly” garments and taking up his role as Christ.
5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
The practice described was a common ancient hospitality custom, the guest would be offered water to wash their feet. Jesus is washing their feet to welcome them into his house. As followed in the ending of this disciples, that they are no longer servants but friends. While much of Christian literature looks negatively upon Peter, the author of John sees Peter as representative of one who wants to do good but doesn't quite get it (i.e. most people). He throws a fit about Jesus washing his feet because he doesn't understand that he is being welcomed into the Heavenly Kingdom. Peter being the one who doesn't get it then asks to be completely clean but doesn't know that he's already clean since his heart is in the right place. Cleaning your feet is a euphamism for not holding grudges against others. Finally he talks about the ones who aren't clean. This is the Demiurge and his archons. They want to hide the fact that they are not God and want keep others from knowing God. Judas, or rather the caricature of the tribe of Judah and the pharisees, is being painted as knowing who God really is and insisting on hiding behind the Laws they have elevated as a god in place of the true God.
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
This paragraph is an excellent example of a hallmark feature of Christian literature, the role reversal of honor and shame. In this paragraph the “master” is taking the role of the “servant”, doing something that should be regarded as shameful by Hellenistic standards but the act is being exalted. He then goes on to say that we should wash each others feet and follow his example. This is worshiping by emulation. Emulation is the highest form of worship one can offer and what it means to “follow him (Christ)”. Not only are we to clean each others feet but we are to come to those who are our “brothers and sisters” to help us in over coming grudges, removing the “dust” we have been unable to kick off. He refers to fulfilling scripture, not because the scripture is prophetic but because it is the weapon of those who seek to condemn him and he is using it against them. He quotes a verse from Psalms 41 which is song about how God will take care of the weak and help the weak overcome their enemies. The caricature of the pharisees, represented by Judas, is supposed to know who God is but is so blinded by the laws that they seek to condemn God himself. The ones that are supposed to be closest to him are those who seek to betray him. The last passage is about emulation. Those who if you accept those who emulate me, you accept me and by accepting me, you accept the one who sent me. Christ in this narrative is the perfect image of what God would be like if God were a man. So if you emulate those who emulate Christ, you are accepting Christ and by extension God.
21 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22 The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 So Simon Peter *gestured to him, and *said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25 He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, *said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29 For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
Jesus says again to his disciples that someone will betray him. This is because since Christ is the image of God, he has the spirit of truth. The spirit of truth reveals everything but not everything from the spirit of truth is understood. The disciple the Christ loves is laying on Jesus's bosom because the disciple is close to Christ's heart. This is not a romantic love that's being talked about here but rather the love of family members. At this point everyone is wanting to know what Jesus is talking. Jesus then dips a morsel and gives it to Judas telling him, “What you do, do quickly”. To me this is symbolic of a few different. First that gnosis is given freely to all that seek it the good and bad alike. What you do with it though will ultimately be used for good in the end. This scene is reminiscent of the Gnostic creation story, rather than stealing Sophia's power to create the world. The demiurge is given power to ultimately show that he is destined to fail since all matter will perish. While everyone saw what took place, no one understood. This is consistent with the nature of truth. Truth is always around us since truth keeps things in motion but it is not always comprehended. Judas leaves at night to emphasis that his act is something he's trying to do in secret, away from the light of truth, in the outer darkness that the demiurge and his creation resides.
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
When we emulate the perfect person and God, God will glorify us. This is living life in the fullness because as we emulate the perfect person and God we start to become that person we wish to become. This is what it means to be glorified. We can't come with Jesus because we have not received the resurrection. The resurrection can only be received in this life. Until we let that perfect image die, we will never see what the real image actually is. Once you see the what the image really is, we can “resurrect” into that perfect image and make it our own. Also notice how Jesus gives a new commandment. If the laws of Moses were perfect and came from God, then why would a new commandment be needed? Edit: The thing to take away from this commandment is that Christ dwells within each person and those who are emulating Christ, Christ's disciples, are known by their love.
36 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Peter again is being the one who doesn't get it but his heart is in the right place. He even claims that he would lay his life down for Jesus. Jesus retorts, that he knows what lies in his heart. Not everyone who wants to do right, will do right. Just because you know what is right and wrong, means that you comprehend what is right and wrong. Until the resurrection is received, self-preservation instincts will always kick in.
The first paragraph is detailing events that the reader is expected to know is going to happen in the story. Being a theological text in a narrative form, none of this should be surprising to the reader. The author is comparing leaving the world to leaving Egypt by making a parallel to the Passover feast. While the text uses “devil”, “accuser” would be more appropriate given that I see Judas as being a metaphor for the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah had become so blinded by legalism that they were overtaken by the spirit of the accuser and were looking to scapegoat Jesus to prove that their laws were God. The last two verses illustrates the Christ's role, that Christ will bring about a new beginning, as mentioned in John 1, the world was created through the Word and that this role is temporary for Jesus. His taking off of his garments is symbolic of him removing his “fleshly” garments and taking up his role as Christ.
5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
The practice described was a common ancient hospitality custom, the guest would be offered water to wash their feet. Jesus is washing their feet to welcome them into his house. As followed in the ending of this disciples, that they are no longer servants but friends. While much of Christian literature looks negatively upon Peter, the author of John sees Peter as representative of one who wants to do good but doesn't quite get it (i.e. most people). He throws a fit about Jesus washing his feet because he doesn't understand that he is being welcomed into the Heavenly Kingdom. Peter being the one who doesn't get it then asks to be completely clean but doesn't know that he's already clean since his heart is in the right place. Cleaning your feet is a euphamism for not holding grudges against others. Finally he talks about the ones who aren't clean. This is the Demiurge and his archons. They want to hide the fact that they are not God and want keep others from knowing God. Judas, or rather the caricature of the tribe of Judah and the pharisees, is being painted as knowing who God really is and insisting on hiding behind the Laws they have elevated as a god in place of the true God.
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
This paragraph is an excellent example of a hallmark feature of Christian literature, the role reversal of honor and shame. In this paragraph the “master” is taking the role of the “servant”, doing something that should be regarded as shameful by Hellenistic standards but the act is being exalted. He then goes on to say that we should wash each others feet and follow his example. This is worshiping by emulation. Emulation is the highest form of worship one can offer and what it means to “follow him (Christ)”. Not only are we to clean each others feet but we are to come to those who are our “brothers and sisters” to help us in over coming grudges, removing the “dust” we have been unable to kick off. He refers to fulfilling scripture, not because the scripture is prophetic but because it is the weapon of those who seek to condemn him and he is using it against them. He quotes a verse from Psalms 41 which is song about how God will take care of the weak and help the weak overcome their enemies. The caricature of the pharisees, represented by Judas, is supposed to know who God is but is so blinded by the laws that they seek to condemn God himself. The ones that are supposed to be closest to him are those who seek to betray him. The last passage is about emulation. Those who if you accept those who emulate me, you accept me and by accepting me, you accept the one who sent me. Christ in this narrative is the perfect image of what God would be like if God were a man. So if you emulate those who emulate Christ, you are accepting Christ and by extension God.
21 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22 The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 So Simon Peter *gestured to him, and *said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25 He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, *said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29 For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
Jesus says again to his disciples that someone will betray him. This is because since Christ is the image of God, he has the spirit of truth. The spirit of truth reveals everything but not everything from the spirit of truth is understood. The disciple the Christ loves is laying on Jesus's bosom because the disciple is close to Christ's heart. This is not a romantic love that's being talked about here but rather the love of family members. At this point everyone is wanting to know what Jesus is talking. Jesus then dips a morsel and gives it to Judas telling him, “What you do, do quickly”. To me this is symbolic of a few different. First that gnosis is given freely to all that seek it the good and bad alike. What you do with it though will ultimately be used for good in the end. This scene is reminiscent of the Gnostic creation story, rather than stealing Sophia's power to create the world. The demiurge is given power to ultimately show that he is destined to fail since all matter will perish. While everyone saw what took place, no one understood. This is consistent with the nature of truth. Truth is always around us since truth keeps things in motion but it is not always comprehended. Judas leaves at night to emphasis that his act is something he's trying to do in secret, away from the light of truth, in the outer darkness that the demiurge and his creation resides.
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
When we emulate the perfect person and God, God will glorify us. This is living life in the fullness because as we emulate the perfect person and God we start to become that person we wish to become. This is what it means to be glorified. We can't come with Jesus because we have not received the resurrection. The resurrection can only be received in this life. Until we let that perfect image die, we will never see what the real image actually is. Once you see the what the image really is, we can “resurrect” into that perfect image and make it our own. Also notice how Jesus gives a new commandment. If the laws of Moses were perfect and came from God, then why would a new commandment be needed? Edit: The thing to take away from this commandment is that Christ dwells within each person and those who are emulating Christ, Christ's disciples, are known by their love.
36 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Peter again is being the one who doesn't get it but his heart is in the right place. He even claims that he would lay his life down for Jesus. Jesus retorts, that he knows what lies in his heart. Not everyone who wants to do right, will do right. Just because you know what is right and wrong, means that you comprehend what is right and wrong. Until the resurrection is received, self-preservation instincts will always kick in.