Sneezing Jesus: How God Redeems Our HumanitySample

Rinse

What makes you feel happy and fulfilled?  Conversely, what makes you unhappy and unfulfilled? We all want blessing. We all want to be happy. In John 13, Jesus reveals the secret to true happiness and blessing.

At the last supper He ever got to experience as a free man before His suffering, Jesus did an awkward and remarkably human thing.  He got up, disrobed, grabbed a towel and began to wash the grit, grime and muck from the shins, ankles and between the toes of His friends. When He was finished He asked, “Do you understand what I’ve just done for you?”

By way of explanation He said, “I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet and you should do the same thing for each other. I’ve given you an example that you should follow. No servant is greater than their master.  If you know these things, you will find blessing and happiness if you do them.”

This is a completely backward approach to happiness for most of our cultures today. Most people think that happiness comes from another person, planning adventure or buying the latest gadget. Jesus gave us an example of what brings true happiness—humbling yourself and serving others, no-matter where their feet have taken them.

Practically, we do this by letting go of offenses, asking forgiveness, and showing kindness without conditions. We do it by bringing comfort and release to our brothers and sisters as we wash away the filth and exhaustion they may find themselves in. 

The posture of heart is entirely simple—love your neighbor as you love yourself. It’s simple, but requires awareness and vigilance. This is how our true humanity shines.  This is what it looks like to be Christ-like.

All the stuff we’ve accumulated will not make us happy. The illusion of blessing cannot fill the void within us. And in our search for meaning and value, we will never find significance in comparing ourselves to another person. May we be willing to release each other from our pasts and be willing to get dirty so that others may be clean.

What is one step you can take today in that direction?