DOING OR KNOWING: WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?

The blessing of God is enjoyed by the doing not the knowing, but we must know in order to do God's work. The knowing is necessary for the doing but the doing is necessary for the blessing.  I am struck anew by this truth as I meditate on John 13:17. Jesus has just finished washing the feet of the disciples giving them an example to follow. Jesus says, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

The verse contains a double condition necessary to enjoy God's blessing, but the two conditions are not equal in force.  The first condition ("if you know") is a first class condition (ει οιδατε) which assumes that the knowing is a fact - a reality. The first class condition emphasizes the reality of the statement so it could be translated "inasmuch as you know these thing" (Blass/Debrunner, Grammar, p.189). The second condition ("if you do these things") is a third class condition (εαν ποιητε) which assumes that the doing is uncertain or questionable. Jesus assumes that they know what He has been teaching them, but the doing of it is doubtful (Robertson, Grammar, p.1019).

Both knowing and doing are necessary for blessing, but the doing is less certain than the knowing and, therefore, more critical to the blessing. Jesus cuts to the heart of my spiritual life when He makes this statement. I want to enjoy God's blessing, but I try to achieve that blessing through knowing what to do instead of doing what I know. The struggle in my Christian life is not knowing what to do but doing what I know to do. I can waste a lot of time trying to figure out what to know instead of doing what I already know. If I would do what I already know, I would enjoy His blessing while learning more of what I need to know so I can do more of what He wants me to do.

DIRTY FEET

John 13:10 is an important verse for our spiritual lives.  Jesus used a physical action to illustrate a spiritual truth.  There are 3 Greek words that bring out the spiritual truth behind the foot washing.

The first word is λελουμενος ("the one who has been bathed"). This word referred to the washing of the whole body (Heb. 10:22; Acts 9:37). It was used in the literature of the day for bathing the body in the bathing room. An interesting use of the word is found in 2 Peter 2:22 which is best translated "the sow that washes itself by wallowing in the mire" (Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary, p. 381). Some people bathe themselves in the muck of sin but we have been bathed in the pure water of Jesus. The form of the verb refers to action that occurred in the past with ongoing results in the present.

The second word is νιψασθαι ("to wash"). This word refers to washing a part of the body like hands or feet (Liddell & Scott, Lexicon, cf. Mark 7:3; Mt. 6:17). The verb is an Aorist Middle Infinitive which is probably best understood as a permissive middle - "to let his feet be washed" (S.Lewis Johnson, private notes). This washing is not a washing done to us in the past but a washing we must allow whenever we get spiritually dirty in the present.

The third word is καθαρος ("clean"). It is used in tandem with ολος ("wholly or completely"). It meant to be pure, innocent or free from offence (Liddell & Scott, Lexicon). The one who has been bathed by Jesus (saved) is wholly pure. Jesus continues by saying "You are pure ones, but not all." Obviously, He is referring to Judas as the exception to purity in their midst even though Jesus has probably washed his feet physically. All who have been spiritually bathed by Jesus (regeneration) are pure on an ongoing basis (present tense) even though they get dirty in life.

The illustration refers to a person who bathes at home but gets dust on his feet walking to the banquet. Such a person only needs to wash his feet to enjoy the banquet. We get dirty as we walk through life and we need to let Jesus wash our feet spiritually to enjoy the intimacy of dinner with Him.

WITH JESUS OR FOR JESUS?

I like Peter because I am so like Peter. As I meditate on John 13, I see a man who thinks he knows it all when he knows nothing at all.  Peter protests the washing of his feet even though Jesus tells him he doesn't understand.  Peter replies (13:8) with a passionate "Never may you wash my feet forever" (εις τον αιωνα). It is a "forever" denial driven by an ignorant zeal. Jesus gently corrects him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me" (13:8).

The "me" (εμου) is emphatic and the "with me" (μετ' εμου) indicates Jesus is talking about communion not union. Jesus does not say, "You have no part in (εν) me." which would have suggested salvation. He says, "you have no part with (μετ') me."  Jesus is talking about the intimacy of true friendship. A follower of Jesus can miss out on closeness with Jesus through the pride of ignorant passion.

To have a part with Jesus is to share in His ministry. It is "to be his partner, to share in his work" (Bernard, St. John, 2:461). To have a part with Jesus is also to share a friendship with Him. The word is used in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:42) when Jesus tells Martha, "Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."  The good part is the intimacy of true friendship with Jesus that only comes by letting Jesus serve us - letting Jesus wash our feet.  Our service for Jesus can become a substitute for intimacy with Jesus.

I like Peter because he catches the point even while missing the truth. Peter immediately asks Jesus to wash not just his feet but also his hands and his head (13:9). He is filled with passionate loyalty, but he still won't let Jesus do as He pleases.  It is possible to be very devoted to the Lord yet very wrong at the same time.  I, too, feel that temptation to substitute ministry for intimacy and miss the depths of love Jesus longs to share with me.