The Call to Prayer: O Lord, teach us to apply our hearts to your instructions.
The Greeting: Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever will be--a world without end. Amen.
Morning Gospel lesson: "It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." -John 13: 1-5
Application: Jesus, the greatest servant of all, served the unfaithful. Does our servanthood go that far?
Morning Proverb: "The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces." -Proverbs 10: 8
Application: Do yourself a favor, listen more, talk less. It's the wise thing to do.
The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven,
Let your holiness be revealed.
Let your kingdom come, let your will be done
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today, our daily bread
Erase our debts, as we erase the debts of others.
Keep us from temptation and rescue us from evil
For Kingdom, power, and glory
belong to you forever and ever,
AMEN!
Who would you rather be like? Jesus or Judas? There is a clear point of contrast presented in John 13. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, fell prey to the devil and suffered the torment of isolation and loneliness. Jesus, on the other hand, courageously picked up a towel and served others. The devil’s schemes are aimed at steering us away from God and others. The loneliness and isolation it produces is deadly. Judas’s death is a good example. Jesus modeled a new way of doing life in community. Courageously serving others in sacrificial love leads us out of our loneliness, fear, and isolation. What can you do today to live more like Jesus and less like Judas?