Following JesusÀpẹrẹ

MY WITNESS TO JESUS

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” -John 13:34

We are all called to be witnesses for Jesus even if we are not good at speaking or presenting a sale. Here Jesus brings out that the primary witness we have is the community of believers and their love and care for each other. When we become followers of Jesus, this becomes our primary responsibility and witness, the love and care for the community.

Earlier in the chapter Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and said, “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” -John 13:14-15. Jesus makes it clear that this washing of the feet is a call for all followers of Jesus.

What did the washing of the feet symbolize in the passage? Jesus makes the statement, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Here, Jesus is identifying the washing of the feet as cleansing spiritually, so that we can be with Him. So, my love is seen in my building the spirituality of the community and the individuals in the community by the practice of love and sharing. We see this practically demonstrated in the Jerusalem church in Acts 4:34, where it says that there was no one who had any need because those with resources shared with those who did not. This helped them to live in right relationships as they were not tempted to obtain resources for their survival by sinful means.

Hebrews 12:14-17 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”

The expression "root of bitterness" used here is used in Deuteronomy 29:18 to refer to worshiping other gods. We maintain strong relationships with everyone in the fellowship so that no one is tempted to turn away from Jesus Christ to worship material things of which they are in pressing need. This is our calling in following Jesus to see that no one falls into temptation for desperate material needs because of the sharing within the community.

Is generosity the hallmark of your church presence?