John 13:8

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

From Background Notes [BN] for August 3^rd & 4^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

To have a "part," a meros with Jesus, means being in the place provided by Jesus, namely, with him in his glory, the place God the Father gave him. For the average Jew in Jesus' day, such a place meant either a richer stake in the holy land or future life in the kingdom of God (see Old Testament texts: Numbers 18:20; Deteronomy 12:12; 14:27).

John 13:3-5

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.

From Background Notes [BN] for August 3^rd & 4^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

There was also something strangely "holy" about his movements, as if he were, in fact, a priest, as well as a servant, performing with care and love a sacred task within the Temple.

John 13:1

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.

From Background Notes [BN] for August 3^rd & 4^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

"Jesus knew that the time had come for him…" (13:1). His date with destiny had been written in the counsels of God long before "the Word became flesh" (1:14). The whole Gospel of John is painted against the landscape of "In the beginning was the Word" (1:1) where God and the Word lived in perfect harmony of purpose and fellowship.

Matthew 25:14-15

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

From Move the Stone [MtS] blog written by Pastor Wangler:

Whatever business you’re in, this applies. Awesome excerpt from a sermon Billy Sunday preached in Richmond Indiana, 1922. Pull this out the next time your tempted to think numbers don’t matter or the church shouldn’t be strategic.

Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 20^th & 21^stwritten by Pastor Bob Brown:

If loving my enemy doesn’t seem pretty far-fetched, then agreeing to Jesus’ invitation to perfection surely does! So what’s the takeaway here? Perfection is something we deny all the time: “I’m not perfect, you know.” “Sorry for not being perfect.” Such denials usually come in the face of mistakes made, and we feel the need to beg off from always getting things right. We can’t be right all the time. Everybody messes up sometimes. Perfect? I don’t think so. But…

Romans 5:10

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 20^th & 21^st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In the Romans 5:10 cited above, the death of God’s Son, Jesus, made possible our reconciliation to God. Sin made us God’s enemies — from our side, not His. We proved ourselves hostile and alienated from God, not because He moved, but because we did. All along, a greater power for friendship was in play.

Matthew 5:46

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

From Background Notes [BN] for July 20^th & 21^st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Jesus could not have chosen a more hated group of people for observant Jews. The publican — tax farmer — was a Jew who sold his services to the Romans for a percent of the action. By this conduct alone, the publican made himself the enemy to his fellow Jews. With skillful intent…

Matthew 5:43-44

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"

From Background Notes [BN] for July 20^th & 21^st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Readers of The Sermon on the Mount have a tendency to lessen the severity of sayings like the present one, in order to make them more understandable. In this strategy lies the greatest danger, namely…

John 6:60

“This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"

From Background Notes [BN] for July 20^th & 21^st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The operative words are: “difficult” and “accept.” What Jesus teaches is often hard to hear and even more difficult to accept. This word for “difficult” is the Greek term sklēros which can mean, “harsh, terrible, strong,” as well as “hard or difficult.” When meaning “strong,” the word often appears with “wind,” as in a “harsh wind” — one that blows unrelentingly. That’s how the words of Jesus might impact us:

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

Jeremiah 32:17 NIV

 “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Philippians 1:3-6

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 

Isaiah 12:4 NIV

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Proverbs 14:34 NIV

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Romans 12:3 NIV

[ Humble Service in the Body of Christ ]

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.