April 18th - Reflection

Monday in Holy Week
Isaiah 42:1-9 (NRSV)
The servant brings forth justice
Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

Reflection
A servant...in the form of a servant...Jesus bows down to the feet of his disciples and washes feet...as a servant. Stinky feet he comes to serve. Does Jesus smell the stench of sin as he washes feet? Does he smell the lies and deception? Does he smell the adultery and sexual perversions? Does Jesus smell the over indulgence of food or money or power? Does Jesus smell the made up stories used to cover one's deviant actions?

I think Jesus took in all of this and much more that I couldn't even imagine. Jesus washed away, as a servant, the sin of this world. Jesus washed all this away not only with water, but also with his blood. Jesus became that dirty sin of ours and died on the cross as sin itself. All as our servant...all as our Savior...all as our true King. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thanks.

Prayer
Lord, you have taught me how to wash feet. You have taught me the depth and the price of sin. As I bow down at the foot of the cross and see your blood stained feet and see the results of my sin, forgive me, renew me, and send me forward in this world to live the life of a servant, humble and forgiven and willing to wash some feet myself. --- Amen