DINNER DISCUSSIONS
John 13-17
DINNER DISCUSSIONS
John 13:3-11
Serving Others
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.
LECTIO DIVINA
The Practice of Divine Reading
LECTIO
MEDITATIO
ORATIO
CONTEMPLATIO
ACTIO
LECTIO DIVINA
The Practice of Divine Reading
John 13:3
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
What do you notice about the way Jesus knows who He is and where He is going before taking up a servant’s role?
LECTIO Reading the Text
LECTIO Reading the Text
What image of Jesus stands out to you the most as we read this story?
John 13:4-5
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.
LECTIO Reading the Text
What image of Jesus stands out to you the most as we read this story?
John 13:4-5
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 13:6-8
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
MEDITATIO Meditating on the Meaning
How does Peter’s question and resistance reflect our own misunderstanding of what it means for Jesus to serve us?
John 13:6-8
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
MEDITATIO Meditating on the Meaning
In what ways do I, like Peter, expect Jesus to act in different or more powerful ways rather than in humble, ordinary service?
What fears or pride or … keep me from letting Jesus serve me, wash me, or heal me, or …?
ORATIO Praying with the Text
John 13:6-8
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
John 13:9-11
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.”
How can I pray with Jesus in the moments when I do not understand?
ORATIO Praying with the Text
contemplatio Recieving God’s Presence
Sit with Jesus kneeling before you with basin and towel.
What arises in your heart as He serves you in silence?
John 13:4-5
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.
contemplatio Receiving God’s Presence
How might this image of Jesus reshape what you assume about strength, holiness, or leadership?
John 13:4-5
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 13:4-5
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.
Where do I resist serving because I fear it looks too “lowly” or insignificant or is too inconvenient?
actio Living Out the Word
John 13:4-5
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.
How might I mirror Jesus’ way of service in my relationships—family, community, or work—this week?
actio Living Out the Word
Response to the Word
How does Peter’s question and resistance reflect our own misunderstanding of what it means for Jesus to serve us?
How might I mirror Jesus’ way of service in my relationships—family, community, or work—this week?
Response to the Word
God, your word has spoken to us today,
reminding us that true greatness
is found in serving others.
Help us to follow Jesus’ example
of humility and love at the table.
May we take what we
have learned and live it out in our daily lives, serving those around us joyfully and selflessly.
Fill our hearts with gratitude and our hands with the desire to serve, so that through us, your love
may be made visible. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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DINNER DISCUSSIONS
John 13:3-11
Serving Others