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The Message for May 19, 2019John 13:31-35A Picture is Worth a Thousand WordsRob Miller, PastorComplete this statement, “A picture is worth a ______________.” “Thousand words” that’s right... We know that pictures are more powerful than words. We know that complex stories and deep feelings can be told with just a simple picture.We can see that in this picture (picture)…5715025908000On the left we see an ice cream cone with three flavors. Oh - I love ice cream… On the right, we see numerous words that describe the ice cream cone. Which one looks tastier? More appealing? More delicious? The picture on the left – of course…?The statement, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” was sometimes called a Chinese Proverb. Truth be told – it wasn’t. An American named, Frank Barnard, came up with that statement as part of an advertisement in 1921. He printed it on the side of the street cars. His ad read, “One look is worth a thousand words.”In 1927, Barnard wrote another ad which included the words, “A picture is worth 10,000 words.” He called it a “Chinese Proverb” so that people would take it more seriously.It wasn’t long after that -- this “Chinese Proverb” was said to have come from Confucius. “A picture is worth 10,000 words.” That sounds like something Confucius would say.We have all kinds of pictures today that speak to us. Pictures we know well... Pictures that stir our emotions… Pictures like this one of the Earth from space (picture)… This picture is worth more than 10,000 words, is it not??312420020320000It gives us a different perspective and a deeper appreciation of our home floating through this universe. What a jewel! What a gem! What a place to live!Another famous picture worth more than a thousand words or even worth more than 10,000 words is this one (picture) the raising of the American flag on Iwa Jima. This picture became a symbol. It is so graphic, so visual, so vivid, and so striking. It speaks volumes… next picture speaks to how far we humans have come to practically destroying this planet Earth (picture). 37433257810500Remember the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima after the nuclear bomb was dropped to end WW2... Many of us remember that nightmare because of this picture. Indeed – it’s worth more than 10,000 words.380047527559000Some of the greatest pictures that are etched into our minds are of famous paintings like (picture) the Mona Lisa by Leonardo. This picture is certainly worth more than 10,000 words -- maybe even more than ten million words. Words fail to capture the subtle expressions in this painting?348996016129000Some of the greatest pictures that come to mind are of famous sculptures such as THE PIETA by Michelangelo (picture). Can anyone do justice in describing this sculpture with just words? Probably not…These pictures are forever etched into our minds. We can recall them at the mere mention of them. We remember them. We see them. We feel them. For some of us these pictures have become part of our lives. Many of us also have pictures from the Bible that are etched into our minds – pictures worth more than a thousand words… For example… Jesus’ birth in a stableJesus in the temple at 12-years-old teaching the religious leadersJesus calming the storm on the Sea of GalileeJesus feeding the 5000Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkeyThe crucifixionThe empty tombJesus appearing to the disciples in the upper roomPeter’s denialPaul’s conversionStephen’s stoningPeter walking on water than sinkingThe story of the Good SamaritanAnd the list goes on and on…Our gospel reading for today is part of the conversation that happened during the Last Supper. It’s a picture of Jesus with his disciples sitting around a table sharing one last meal together.Here is part of that story…Read Text John 13:31-35Two?powerful events happened as part of this story that night. Both pictures are so graphic, so visual, so vivid, and so striking -- they speak volumes to us as we picture them in our minds.The first picture is Jesus washing his disciple’s feet that night. There were no cell phones to grab a selfie with Jesus. There were no artists to paint that scene for us -- but Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (the gospel writers) painted that picture with words so we can see it in our imaginations.We can see and feel the disciples arguing with each other on the way to the Last Supper, arguing about which one was the greatest disciple. We can imagine Jesus overhearing their remarks and seeing it a teaching moment. So during dinner we can see Jesus taking a towel and a basin of water -- kneeling down and washing his disciple’s feet. We can see the silence. We can see Peter protesting. We can see Jesus saying to them -- do to one another as I have done to you…We can see Jesus putting into practice these words from Philippians: For Jesus did not count equality with God as something to be grasped, but he humbled himself, taking the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:6-7)We can see it - a picture painted with words.286702510287000In 1865 Ford Brown decided to capture this picture with paint and brushes. Here is what he painted (picture)…We can see and feel the power of this picture. We see Jesus in the foreground with a hallo around his head. His right hand is softly washing Peter’s right foot – while his left hand is holding Peter’s heel. We see the towel wrapped around Jesus’ waist. Today a dishtowel is a great symbol of service in the church. When you join the church we should give you a towel to remind each one of us of our calling in Christ to serve one another as Jesus serves us. Notice Jesus’ head is bowed in humility, focusing on the task at hand. Jesus is below Peter -- the master is below the servant.Notice Peter. I wonder what he is thinking… His hands are folded on his lap, in a posture of contentment and humility and acceptance.Notice the other disciples in the background silently and intently watching Jesus. The disciple on the left is reaching down to take off his shoe, getting ready for Jesus to wash his feet. One disciple in the darkened background is covering his face perhaps in shame and disbelief. On the right, its believed to be John, the youngest of the disciples, is trying to watch. I wonder what he is thinking…This painting is dripping with feelings and emotions. Ten thousand words -- ten million words could not do justice for this painting.?We are invited by Jesus to become servants like he was. We are invited by Jesus to live a life of humble service to one another. We are invited by Jesus to not elevate ourselves above one another and -- we are not to elevate ourselves above the tasks that we feel are beneath us.The second event captured in words on that night -- is the picture of the Last Supper. This event is so graphic, so visual, so vivid, so vibrant. It too speaks volumes to us. The words paint a picture for us to imagine as we picture the twelve disciples gathered around a table, eating the Passover meal with Jesus.Then Jesus does something new… Jesus takes the bread, and says, “This is my body given for you. Eat this in remembrance of me.” Then Jesus takes a cup filled with wine and says to his disciples, “ This is the blood of the new covenant shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins. Drink this all of you in remembrance of me.”Leonardo captured these words in a picture on canvas many centuries later (picture). This is the most famous painting of the Lord’s Supper.Notice Jesus is at the center. Anytime we celebrate Holy Communion Jesus is at the center. This picture points out how Jesus was really present at that first Holy Communion and he is really present in our Holy Communion today. We can see and feel “the real presence” of Christ in this painting.Notice the disciples. They are in four groups of three. They are all responding to what Jesus said in verse 13:21, “One of you is going to betray me.” All of them are asking, “Is it I?” The table is buzzing with conversation, “Is it I?”Which is really strange when you think about it -- and a bit ironic too because this meal is for the forgiveness of our sins. Of course, we betray Jesus… and of course, he forgives us. That’s what Holy Communion is all about: “given and shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of our sins.” We are forgiven sinners.Back to our reading… We hear Jesus say these words to us…Love one another.?As I have loved you, so you must love one another.? By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.I leave you with this question: How might we put these words into practice? How might we live our lives everyday as a living picture for others to see the love of Christ at work in us and through us?Finish this statement…They’ll know we are Christians by our… love. Amen So be it! ................
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