Luke 6:40, Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” A disciple is like an apprentice.  In ancient Greece when somebody was learning to play the flute from a flute player, they were called a disciple of that flute player.  A person who was being trained by a doctor to be a physician was called a disciple of that doctor. If we are disciples of Jesus we are in training to become just like Him.

In most forms of training there are fundamental, core, primary skills and concepts to master, and then there are helpful but secondary, peripheral, less crucial skills and concepts to get.  We’ve all taken classes in school I suspect where we had little assignments, take-home worksheets and quizzes that counted a little toward our grade, but then there was the research paper and mid-term and final exam that really determined whether you pass or fail the course. If you fail the big things it doesn’t matter much how well you did on the little things. If you do well in the big things you can afford to not do too well on the little things.

In the course of discipleship, there are minor matters and there are major matters. Jesus confronted the Pharisees on occasion about focusing on minor issues and neglecting what He called the weightier matters of the Law. He pictured it humorously as a guy who wants to drink clean water out of a bucket, so he takes a little net and scoops out a gnat floating in the water but he ignores the big, filthy, flea ridden camel sitting in it, and gulps down the camel (Matthew 23:23-24). In the apprenticeship of Jesus that we are in there are gnat scooping matters and there are camel removal matters.

I want to talk to you in this lesson about a camel removal matter. In fact I believe it is…

The main skill to be developed as a disciple of Jesus

I’d like to take us back to the upper room where Jesus and His disciples were gathered for a meal on the very night Jesus would be betrayed, arrested and begin His suffering for our sins. That night in that room, with all the anxiety Jesus was experiencing as He anticipated what was about to happen to Him, also heavy on His heart was impressing upon His disciples the biggest, most fundamental, most important aspect of being one of His disciples.

It’s not attending the right church. It’s not going through the right worship activities in the right way. It’s not reciting prayers or making offerings. It’s not rites, rituals, rules or regulations. It’s not figuring out what the Bible really says on various doctrinal topics (though that’s certainly important). But none of that is the fundamental core of being a follower of Jesus.

That night in the upper room Jesus put it this way, according to John 13:33, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ [Little children, I am leaving.] 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Before this, everybody knew who Jesus’ disciples were by noticing who followed Jesus around everywhere He went. When Jesus went to Galilee His disciples went to Galilee with Him. When Jesus went to Judea they went to Judea. Everybody could tell who His disciples were because they were always tagging along with Him. But on this night Jesus said, “It’s going to be different now. I’m leaving. I’m not going to be here to be followed around from place to place. There will be a new identifying mark of My disciples. And it will be loving one another as I have loved you.”

It makes good sense to me. Most people in our community, though they do not believe in Jesus, have heard enough about Him to often be able to distinguish between a hypocrite and a genuine follower of Jesus. If they’ve heard much at all, they’ve heard Jesus loved people, probably that He so loved He sacrificed Himself for the welfare of others and He wants us to love like Him. So what tells people you are the real deal is not a fish symbol on your car or that you go to church or pray. It’s if they see you sacrificially loving others.

In the training of discipleship, this is the primary thing. If we miss this then it doesn’t really matter how well we do on other things. Paul wrote, “I may be incredibly gifted, able speak in the tongues of men and angels and prophesy, I may understand all the mysteries and know all there is to know, I may give away all I have and offer my body to be burned but if I do not have love, it profits me nothing” (I Corinthians 13:1-3). John wrote “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in the darkness.” (I John 2:9). “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar,” (I John 4:20) and “Everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him” (I John 5:1). Our attendance record, bible knowledge, contribution, you name it, doesn’t matter if we fail to love one another.

Turning it around, if we do well in this matter of loving one another, then I find assurance from Jesus that we will pass with Him though we may not be doing so well in some other matters. Jesus said, “if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses… But if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14-15). He said, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:37-38).

You mean I could possibly pass, though I don’t have it all figured out, though I’m still undecided or confused in some doctrinal topics, though I still fall short at times in my language and attitude and behavior? I could have God’s mercy and forgiveness and grace? I hear Jesus saying, “As long as you catch on to this main matter of discipleship: loving others. There’s mercy for the merciful, forgiveness for the forgiving, grace for the gracious.”

In Matthew 25 He said, “Here’s the basic idea of how it will go when I come back with all the angels. The angels will gather everyone on earth before Me and separate them like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Then I will say to the sheep at My right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you that way and help you? And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ In other words, you loved my people.’ And I will say to the goats on his left, “Depart from Me… Why? When I needed you, you ignored me. When? What you did not do for the least of these brothers of mine, do did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:31-46).

Peter wrote (I Peter 4:7ff), “The end of all things is near. We’re in the last age of time. God has said that from His perspective He’s almost done with this world. Jesus is coming soon. Therefore stay of sound judgment and sober. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted or intoxicated by the world. And above all, ABOVE ALL, keep loving one another earnestly, because love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace“.

John wrote, “Little children (I’m sure remembering the words of Jesus at the last supper (John 13:33)), let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him” (I John 3:18-19). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (I John 4:7). This loving one another is the main matter of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Do you know…

Who was gathered around the table when Jesus said love one another?

Gathered around that table were people of very different political opinions.

There was a man named Matthew, also known as Levi, who had been making a living as a tax collector, employed by and helping out the pagan Roman government.

There was also a man named Simon who was also called “the Zealot.” The zealots were a political group on the opposite end of the spectrum from Roman assistants like Matthew. “Zealots” advocated that the Jews should resist and revolt against the Romans; they typically despised any Jews who sought peace and favor with Rome. The gulf between Matthew and Simon politically was further than CNN from Fox News.

And Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Gathered around that table were people who were confused doctrinally. I mean they were plain wrong in some of their beliefs. In fact they all were. They believed the Messiah was basically going to rally the men of Israel for war, overthrow the Romans and establish the Jews as the new world power. They believed God mainly just loved Jews. They had other misconceptions and things they did not yet understand.

I am sure I am wrong about some things. I’m just not sure which things I’m wrong about yet. But Scripture has so often shown me to be wrong, I’m expecting it to happen again. I know some of you are wrong about some things. At least I really really think you are.

But Jesus said to those around the table with imperfect theology, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Gathered around that table were people who had offended each other.

One time, the two brothers James and John struck the others below the belt. I mean they cheated. The twelve had been having this ongoing debate about which of them was the greatest and who should get the highest positions of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. James and John got their mother to come with them to Jesus and she knelt before Him and asked if she might make one request. Jesus said to her “What do you want?” She said, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” It says when the other ten heard it they were indignant (outraged) at the two brothers (Matthew 20:20-24).

Now, here they are gathered at the table, offenders and offended, and Jesus said, “Love one another.”

Gathered around that table were spiritually immature people.

There was Peter who would deny Christ three times that night. There was Thomas who would soon earn the name “the Doubter.” They all still had a bit of pride and selfish ambition remaining in their hearts. That very night, according to Luke’s account, they still argued about which of them was the greatest. They would fall asleep that evening at the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked them simply to keep watch for Him and pray. They were still spiritually weak and flawed.

And Jesus said, “Love one another.”

Now, Judas Iscariot had left by the time Jesus gave them the new commandment. So here’s something very good about those around the table, which can also be said for many of the political ignoramuses among us and the doctrinally confused among us and the offenders and spiritually immature among us. Those who remained at the table believed in Jesus strongly enough to keep listening to Him, to keep learning from Him, to keep changing according to His word and example. That’s what a disciple is. He’s doesn’t have it all figured out. He is not without fault. He’s a student. He’s in training. He’s an apprentice. On that condition, Jesus forgave them and embraced them as His family and gave all He could give for their welfare. And He told them to love each other like He loves them. We are to love all people, even our enemies, do good to all men, but especially those who are of the household of faith, says Galatians 6:10. Students, trainees of Jesus, despite their political, theological, spiritual deficiencies, we are to take as our family whom we lay down our lives for as Jesus did for us.

There were a couple actions Jesus took that night to get the message across.

For the first, you have to understand a little about the time. We eat at tables a few feet off the ground, sitting in chairs with our feet tucked under the table and nobody particularly cares if our feet are clean or not. Unless they’re really pungent of course. Also, our feet usually are pretty clean because we wear socks and shoes and walk on pavement outside. Back then they walked on dirt roads in sandals. Then they’d come in to eat at low tables. They’d often recline on their sides on cushions around the table where their feet would be close to someone’s face. So commonly when you went to someone’s house to eat, the host would have one of his household servants, the lowest of the servants, wash your dirty feet so that you’d be more pleasant to be with at the table.

But at this particular meal the owner of the room was not present, and did not send any servants over to wash the guests’ feet. I imagine it was a bit of an awkward situation when they were all reclining around the table with their filthy feet near each other’s faces and nobody wanted to do the unpleasant and humiliating task of washing feet. To take the initiative to be the foot-washer to the disciples would be like saying, “Okay, I concede. I am the least important person in this room. All of you are greater than me.” Some of them were maybe thinking, Matthew the tax collector should do it, or John the youngest should do it.

All of the sudden Jesus got up from the table, laid aside his outer garments, took a towel, tied it around His waist, poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel. He washed the feet of every one of them. He washed the liberal’s feet. He washed the conservative’s feet. He washed the denier’s feet and the doubter’s feet. He washed the feet of those who had poor theology. He washed the feet of those who were in fact way less important than Him. And at that point in the evening, Judas who was planning to betray Him was still at the table, and He washed even his feet.

When He had finished and put His outer garments back on and reclined back at the table, He said to them, John 13:12, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” Did you hear that? If you get this and do this, you pass; you are blessed. What is this? Jesus was not, I don’t think, commanding a foot-washing ritual to be repeated on a regular basis. This in which you will be blessed, is if you love one another, such that despite their faults and foolishness and immaturity, you look for how you can bless them, how you can help them, encourage them, make their life easier or more pleasant. When you are willing to treat the least of them as more important than yourself. When for the least of them you will inconvenience yourself for their convenience. When you will disadvantage yourself for their advantage. When you will take the worst seat so they can have the better seats. When you will clean, cook and clean again so they can enjoy. When you will give up your evening so they can have an evening. When their welfare is the main concern of your heart then you are becoming much like Jesus. You pass. You are blessed.

The other action Jesus took that same evening, which I think served multiple purposes, but one was to help them love one another. He took bread and gave thanks for it. Then He broke it and gave it to every one of them. And He said, “This is my body which is given for you.” Picture it. They were not sitting in pews like we do, looking at the back of each other’s heads. They were gathered around a table looking at each other’s faces. They watched symbolically the body of Jesus be broken and given not just to themselves, but to every one of those across the table from them, to Matthew and Simon and Thomas and Peter, Jesus gave them His body. They saw them symbolically partake of the body of Jesus on their behalf which makes them forgiven before God and part of God’s family. They saw not just how much Jesus loves their own self, but how much Jesus loves those across the table from them. They saw how much the others mean to Jesus.

Then He took a cup and gave thanks for it. Then He gave it to all of them to drink, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” They saw symbolically the blood of Jesus being given not just to themselves but to every one of those across the table from them so that they could be in the new covenant with God in which all sins are forgiven and God is their God and they are His people.

Then He said, “Do this, continue to gather together to share bread and drink. And as often as you do it, do it in remembrance of me. When you’re at the table with each other, remember Me.” I don’t think He just means remember My dying on the cross. He meant simply, “Remember Me, whatever you can remember about Me. When you’re at the table with your fellow disciples, remember how patient I was. Remember how compassionate I was toward those in need. Remember how forgiving I was. Remember how I gave people my time and how I taught. Remember My priorities. Remember how I laid down My life, gave My body and My blood, not just for you, but for those across the table from you. When you see them eating the bread and drinking the cup, see Me giving them my body and my blood, so that they may stand righteous before God and be with Me and with Him forever.”

I think I am to break bread with you in remembrance of Him, not just so I don’t forget what Jesus did for me, but so I don’t forget what Jesus did for you and how much you mean to Him.It’s a practice that is to shape my heart toward you and yours toward me. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (I John 4:7)

-James Williams