Word to the Wise
Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 4th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 13:13-25 and John 13:16-20]"I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." [John]
These words are spoken by Jesus after he has washed the feet of the disciples. The emphasis here is on fidelity to the one who sends the messenger. However, the "it" in the first line refers to what lay ahead for Jesus - his "lifting up" - his death. The words, "I AM," echo the words of God in the burning bush in Exodus 3 when God gives the divine name to Moses to tell the Israelites who has sent him. The next line places all of us in the category of one who is sent because by virtue of our baptism we are identified with Jesus.
Ambassadors and diplomatic envoys know well that they do not act on their own. They have to be completely faithful to the authority they represent because the one who receives them expects them to be the voice of their sender. Jesus gives the example of fidelity, and provides a model of behavior in whasing the feet of the disciples. We are called to be faithful and humble servants in the same way. AMEN
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