THE NAKED TRUTH!

So [Jesus] got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.”

John 13:4

Awkward!

I don’t know about you, but this would make me a little uncomfortable. The master is practically naked! Maybe that wasn’t so odd. This was a tight-knit band of brothers who shared everything. But still, Jesus is a bit too exposed for my taste.

Maybe that’s my cultural upbringing speaking. We have strange reactions to nakedness. The fall into sin really messed us up in this area. Our reactions to nakedness are anything but normal. We either gawk or giggle (have you ever seen high schoolers in an art gallery!?). We’re either embarrassed, or exploit others by supporting our sex-crazed media. We either shame others who expose too much of themselves in public or we are feel ashamed because of what we watch in private – sometimes we hypocritically do both.

Why does nakedness still bring shame? It goes back to humanity’s first reaction when we first recognized our nakedness before God. Along with Adam and Eve, we still fashion “fig leaves” to cover ourselves up. We use good works to make up for bad works, public persona to hide our private problems. We give tokens of sacrifice so we don’t look totally selfish. We don’t want to be too exposed before God or others. But fig leaves weren’t enough for our first parents and they’re not enough for us.

Knowing our naked truth, Jesus literally gave up the shirt off His back so He could cover our sin and shame with His righteousness and redemption. He wore nothing but a towel to wash the disciples’ feet. When He was nailed to the cross, He gave up His last scrap of decency, His loin cloth (John 19:23-24), and died completely exposed before the world and God. Our art and movies usually cover up this exposure. But, this is Jesus’ naked truth!

He gave everything He had, even down to His very last garment, so our sin would no longer be visible to God and so that we would not be put to shame. Our private sin is pardoned. The sin of our public cover-up is covered. Jesus went from riches to rags, and even gave up those. Now, how do we respond?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus You exposed me completely to the depth of God’s love. Lead me to give to You and others unashamedly, holding nothing back. I want to use it all and give you my all, so others will be exposed to Your generosity. Amen.

Connecting people to Jesus by meeting needs!

God’s People

Have you ever worked with clay? Or even Play Doh? Maybe when you were a child you made an ashtray or even a vase for your mom as a school project. If you’ve ever formed something with your hands, you know how important the creation is to the creator.

It’s no different with God and how he sees us. All this week we’ve been talking about how Jesus put off the things of his godly nature and put on the normal everyday stuff of humanity –going from riches to rags. These two verses from Isaiah really speak to the heart of what was going on in God’s mind when he sent his son.

Isaiah here pleads with God not to be angry with his people. He reminds God that he formed us. That we are the work of his hand. He reminds God and us that we are his people! As such, we are valued beyond measure. You see Jesus left his place in heaven and became a man because of his father’s great love for us. Jesus walked the earth - suffered, died, and was buried - all for us.

All of Jesus’ life was about restoring us to a place of riches that God intends for us to have: forgiveness, life, salvation, hope, joy, peace, and the list goes on. In Christ, God has opened all of heaven to those who confess faith in him. In Christ, God has promised us that heaven is ours.

Seeing that God has so richly blessed us, we are moved by faith and love to live generously as his people. Today look for ways that God has made you rich by emptying himself. Look for the subtle ways that God has blessed you today.
Prayer

Dear Servant King – we thank you for emptying yourself that we might be filled with your Spirit. Open our eyes today that we might see the blessings all around us as gifts of your riches freely poured out in Jesus. AMEN.

Give as it was given to you

GIVING AS GOD GIVES TO US

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27)

We have a lot of clothes in our closets. Sometimes it’s good to bless others with the items we’re no longer using. But, I’ve noticed a trend. We don’t give away our nicest wears. No, we give away the things that are dated, fading, tattered and torn.

The same thing happens when people give canned goods to a food bank. They end up with a lot of lima beans and cream corn. Giving those things away is okay, sustaining, even good. But, it’s easy and not very fulfilling. What would happen if, instead of giving away left-overs, we gave away first-fruits?

God gave His very best to us and took our very worst in exchange – His riches for our rags. He gave us righteousness and took our wrongdoings. Jesus gave His rewards and took our punishments. Jesus gave us the right to be called children of God, by taking away our alienation from the Father.

What an amazing exchange. God is the very best at giving the very best. Do you know why He does that? He loves it! He loves you! He loves the joy He gets out of it! Most importantly, He loves the joy you get out of it!

God has clothed us with the very best. He clothed us with Christ! (Galatians 3:27) He didn’t give us left-overs, but first-fruits; not rags, but riches; not scraps from the table, but the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom. He gave His greatest treasure!

I dare you to meet a need today wherever you are. As the need presents itself, don’t give the bare minimum, give in a way that provides a maximum surprise. Don’t give away a $1 or a $5; give away a $10 or $20. Give away your favorite shirt instead of the one you no longer wear.

And watch for the surprise! You might be surprised with joy. Even better, you might surprise someone else. And if they ask why, don’t hesitate to surprise them with the Good News of Jesus who gives His very best in exchange for our very worst.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I am once again surprised by Your godly generosity. Let that surprise spill over in my giving to You and others so more people can be surprised by Your love. Amen

Riches to Rags!

Do you understand?

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." ⁹"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" ¹⁰Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. ¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. John 13:8-12

Jesus asks us a provocative question today: Do you understand what I have done for you? While the immediate context is clearly talking about washing his disciples’ feet, we would probably do well to enlarge this to see something a bit bigger – something that meets us today.

Jesus poses this question, already knowing the answer. And he knows our answer as well. Even though the disciples would say that they understood what Jesus had done, many of them were still a bit sketchy on the reasons why. But are we really that much different? Do we really understand what Jesus did for us?

Today as you journey through your day ponder what it is that Jesus did for you. He left the safety and security of heaven to come here and serve. Elsewhere in the New Testament we are reminded that Jesus came not to be served but to serve. Here Jesus puts some meat on that message and actually serves his disciples by washing their feet. But he doesn’t stop with the twelve! He serves us as well.

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus was leaving the safety of heaven to come to a world filled with hatred and fear. He left his home to live in an alien world filled with alien rituals and ideas. He went from riches to rags so that we might inherit his righteousness! By giving up His own life Jesus guaranteed our place in heaven.

So do you understand what Jesus has done for you? Live today knowing that what Jesus did, he did out of love for you! He did because he wanted you to be with him forever.

Jesus gave up his riches. He put on our rags. We now by faith wear his righteousness! That’s what Jesus did.

Prayer

Gracious Jesus – thank you for taking my rags. Guide me today as I seek to live out the righteousness that you have clothed me with. AMEN.