Peacocks and Poppycock

 

 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30 

When I was a child, I admit there were parts of church culture that confused me (and still confuse me):  

I remember the very first time I heard a pastor actually told a joke!  I thought it was funny and laughed, but was quickly embarrassed when the rest of the congregation remained stone faced.  I asked one of the older "grandmotherly" members why no one else laughed in church, she said is was because Jesus never laughed.  REALLY?  

I remember when we had churchwide dinner after church and I had never seen so many variations of green bean casserole, mac-and-cheese or lemon pound cake!  

I remember not being able to change out of my church clothes when we got home for lunch (I am a notorious dribbler, ask my bride).  I could take off my coat only.

Here's the thing that confused me the most...on Easter we were supposed to be celebrating the fact that Jesus had defeated death.  The part that confused me were all the brightly colored new Easter outfits worn by men and women (large hats included) that paraded around the sanctuary before the service and then tried their hardest to cram themselves into the first three pews behind the deacons so they could be seen.  Doesn't that rather defeat to purpose of celebrating Easter's meaning when the parade becomes the focus?  To me, it looked like a Mardi Gras parade in church (minus the beads and loud marching bands.  There might have been alcohol involved, but I can't confirm that).

When we let anything or anyone take our focus from the purpose of worship, we are making idols.  You see, idols aren't just stone or wood images someone carved that we decide we can talk to more easily than talking with God.  Idols can include television, clothing, food, drink, vacations, homes, cars, and wait for it.......sports.  ANYTHING we put ahead of God is an idol and poppycock at its finest.

Yuck, A Basin, And A Man!

 So Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

John 13:4-5

 

Have you ever wondered why foot washing was such a big deal?  Think about this, during Jesus' time, sandals were the fashion footwear.  In fact, sandals were pretty much all one had to wear unless they were extremely wealthy.  Most people simply went barefoot.  

 

Now....keeping that in mind, you would be sharing the streets with animals (because there were no "Critter Only Lanes" during this time).  And animals aren't exactly thoughtful as to where they do their business.  Also, don't forget that farmers would be taking their produce to market, so if they discovered some that was rotten, they would simply drop it in the roadway. Not to mention there were no rest areas along the Roman roads like we have now.  So let's just agree that lots of compostables were in the roadway to be stepped on as people walked to their destinations. 

 

Thus, washing of the feet was a necessity and a courtesy when entering a dwelling.  But because it was such an unsanitary task, who would do it?  Well, only the lowest of the servants would have such a task, they would be Nose-to-Toes with the road slime washing it away with their hands and a towel.  I don't know about you, but I have smelled some pretty foul things (and people), but that didn't make me want to touch them, much less wash them up close and personally.   

 

Consider the fact that Jesus, the ONLY Son of God our Creator, not only came into this world via a barn, but made Himself so low that He went Nose-to-Toes with the feet of the Disciples to show them that NO task was beneath them.  The same hands that healed the sick, fed the hungry, wiped away tears, lifted an adulterous woman into forgiveness, now held the nasty feet of the Disciples so they would be clean.

 

I'll be honest, not much impresses me less than seeing some high and mighty figure pretend "humility" by washing someone's relatively sanitized feet for the camera and for free publicity.  They forget that Jesus washed the Disciple's feet in the privacy of the upper room, and there was no fanfare, there were no camera crews filming it, no one posted it to FaceBook, not a single Tweet was sent about it!  

 

No, Jesus simply got up, disrobed, wrapped a towel around His waist, and started washing. If we "minister" to others simply for the politics or the publicity...it's not true ministry!  It's not true caring!  It's nothing but a LIE!

 

We are called to minister to others, not to be seen, but to reflect Christ within us.