The Last Supper

After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:5)

The dynamics at work in this single chapter in John amaze me. From the opening verse it becomes clear that the entire chapter anticipates the death of Jesus on the cross. At the time it wasn’t possible for the disciples to understand the significance of what was taking place. But Jesus understood. He knew what He was doing and why He was doing it. Because of the timing and the dramatic context, the messages that Jesus communicated through His actions and words strike me with greater force. I am grateful for John’s record of Jesus’ last evening together with the twelve. On that night, Jesus punctuated His ministry with a two-part sermon. In the first part, Jesus washed their feet. He washed the feet of Judas, the betrayer. He washed the feet of Peter, the one who would deny Jesus a few hours later. Do I keep a list? Do I have a mental list of people that I refuse to serve? Do I have a list of people that do not deserve to be loved? Jesus performed the duties of a servant and in so doing He taught them to “serve as He served”. When Jesus put aside his outer garment and wrapped himself in a towel, He showed us what it is like to put aside the pride that we wear like a cherished garment. Jesus showed us what it means to “put on” Christ and serve. In the second part of the message, Jesus gave them indisputable foundation for keeping His testimony alive. He told them to “love as He loved”. Jesus understood the magnitude of what He was saying. Yes, Jesus understood that it is not always easy to serve. It is not always easy to love. He loved and served “to the end” and He did it in a way and at a time that resonates through the ages.

Mandate for Living

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

George Grant, a biographer of Theodore Roosevelt, notes that Roosevelt coined the phrase “the Micah Mandate” with reference to this powerful little verse. When Roosevelt was asked by the New York Bible Society to inscribe a message in the pocket New Testaments that WWI soldiers were given, Roosevelt began by quoting the mandate of Micah 6:8. In a brief message to the soldiers, Roosevelt explained:

Do justice; and therefore fight valiantly against those that stand for the reign of Moloch and Beelzebub on this earth. Love mercy; treat your enemies well; succor the afflicted; treat every woman as if she were your sister; care for the little children; and be tender with the old and helpless. Walk humbly; you will do so if you study the life and teachings of the Savior, walking in His steps.

I am impressed by the admonition of Roosevelt. He commissioned the soldiers into battle with a biblical reminder of the timeless principles of justice, mercy and humility. Regardless of the nature of the battles you are facing today it’s good to march with the same mandate from God. The mandate from Micah 6:8 is a recipe for integrity and maturity. Living out the mandate requires my attention and sensitivity on a daily basis. Consider the challenges. It’s easy for me to loosen my grip what it means to act justly and then forsake God’s standard for righteous action. So often, doing nothing is too easy. It’s tempting to expect mercy and grace for myself and fail to extend the same to others. When it comes to humility, is anyone going to pretend that pride is an easy foe to defeat? If you have questions about what God expects, I suggest a bookmark at Micah 6:8.

Jonah and the Two Brothers

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. (Jonah 1:1-2)

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. ² He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster. (Jonah 4:1-2)

First, Jonah ran from the presence of God. Later, after spending some time in the belly of a fish, Jonah changed his mind. When God spoke, Jonah went to Nineveh and preached against it. After Jonah preached, Nineveh responded and God spared Nineveh from judgment. Jonah became angry and told God exactly how he felt. Jonah’s story reminds me of the two brothers described in the story of “the prodigal son” (Luke 15). At the beginning of the story, Jonah is like the younger son who runs away from the Father. He runs away because he wants to experience life on his own terms. No doubt, he was tired of listening to the Father and so he decided to escape to another land. Jonah chose to run away rather than listen to the Father tell him to go to Nineveh. Both Jonah and the wayward son experienced some difficult times while running from the Father and decided to return to Him. In Luke 15, when the wayward son returned home, the Father extended mercy and forgiveness to the son. The mercy and grace of the Father is interrupted by the angry attitude of the older brother. After all, how could the Father celebrate the return of a wayward son? In the eyes of the older brother, the younger deserved to be punished rather than rewarded. When God spared Nineveh, Jonah was angry. There was no hint of celebration over the repentance of Nineveh. Instead, Jonah told God that he would rather die than endure the expression of God’s mercy. Whether I am reading Jonah or Luke 15, I recognize that there have been times that I can see myself in the story of Jonah and the two sons. Perhaps that is why God shares the message in different ways and at different times. It’s a good reminder from the Father.

Notes from Jonah about anger

The Lord asked Jonah,

“Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)

It’s a great question. Was Jonah’s anger righteous?

The following checklist helps us understand why God asked Jonah the question. Also, you can develop a checklist for processing your own anger.

Check your view of yourself

Are you willing to be an instrument of God’s faithful love?

Look deeper than outward actions. Have you been obedient on the outside while hiding what is in my heart? (When God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh the second time, Jonah went. Although Jonah was obedient to the command of God, his anger revealed the issues that remained in his heart.)

Check your view of people

God cared about the people and even the animals of Nineveh (Jonah 4:10)

Do you love all of the people God loves?

Check your view of God

God sent a storm, a fish, a plant, a worm and extreme heat – all to accomplish His purpose. God is sovereign. He reigns over all creation.

Does anger distort your view of God. When you are angry, you need to ask, “Do I think I know everything I need to know to make the judgment that I am making?” Are you willing to accept that God knows more about this situation than you do? Are you willing to trust God and release your anger to Him?

Check your story

In other words, check your memory. It seems that Jonah was angry toward God because God was merciful toward Nineveh. It’s hard to believe that Jonah had so soon forgotten just how merciful God had been toward him. When Jonah was disobedient and attempted to run from God’s presence, God spared Jonah’s life. Now that God was merciful toward Nineveh, Jonah was angry. When you are angry do you tend to forget your own personal testimony? When you check your story you need to ask, “How has God treated me?” “How has God extended grace to me?” Take the time to read Jonah’s prayer in Jonah 2:

Verse 2 – “I called in my distress and You heard me” Has God heard your prayer in times past?

Verse 6 – “You raised my life from the Pit” Has God rescued you?

Verse 9 – “Salvation is from the Lord” Has God been your source of Salvation?

How fast can you run?

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.

Jonah 1:1-3

The first few verses of the book of Jonah are pretty familiar to me. God says go this way; Jonah goes that way. There’s not much suspense in between. God says, “Go”; Jonah says “No”. We are spared any details of a long deliberation process. It doesn’t appear that Jonah “mulled it over”. He just ran. I can give Jonah credit for one thing. He was decisive. Wrong, but decisive. That leads me to ask, “Why?” This is where my familiarity gives way to some critical thinking. Typically, we don’t act decisively at serious junctures in life unless there are some deep issues underlying our response. I’m talking about anger, pain, fear, prejudice and the like. I don’t pretend to have a conclusive answer to why Jonah ran. But, the remaining portion of the book gives us a number of clues. God shines a creative light to some major issues with Jonah’s attitude. Here’s something I take away from Jonah. As the book begins, Jonah chose to say “no” to God because He would rather run from God than submit his issues to God and obey. Historically, Jonah wasn’t the first person to do that and he wasn’t the last. Today is a good day to consider our own choices in light of our own issues. Expose them to the light. Bring them before a God who knows you and heals you. Have you brought your fears to God? Have you brought your anger to God? Obedience can be held captive to many underlying issues.