Whether respected or hated

S: John 15:18-25

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

O: Some people claim that this means if non-Christians think well of us, something must be wrong with our walk with Christ, since Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

But that doesn’t take into account the whole counsel of Scripture. Jesus also taught in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Likewise, Titus 2:7–8, Proverbs 3:3–4, Romans 12:17–21, and 1 Peter 2:12 all urge us to live visibly good and upright lives, often resulting in respect or even admiration from non-believers.

Many biblical values—human dignity, justice, mercy—have shaped societies over time. Concepts like universal human rights, care for the poor, and equality before the law trace back to Scripture, even when secular societies forget their origin. Some values once radical (compassion, forgiveness, justice) are now admired by the wider world because of the long influence of Christ and His followers—the yeast working through the dough (Matthew 13:33).

At the same time, it is true that following Jesus can bring persecution. Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who suffered in both Nazi and Communist Romania, are examples of believers who stood firm despite intense opposition. Many others have done likewise.

A: I need to live such a good life that people see my actions and glorify God. In my current situation, I am more likely to have opportunities to shine through kindness, integrity, and witness. But I also need to be spiritually prepared to stand firm if real opposition or persecution comes.

P: Father, help me to walk in the light as You are in the light, to have fellowship with other believers, and to receive the cleansing of Jesus’ blood. Help me to be salt and light—whether I am accepted or rejected—and not to compromise should persecution come. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

Washing feet - not merely a ritual, but a lifestyle of servant leadership

S: John 13:12-16 ¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

O: Traditionally, popes performed the foot-washing ritual once a year, selecting 12 men—often priests or seminarians—to symbolise the Apostles. But Pope Francis broke with convention, choosing men and women from the margins of society—prisoners, refugees, migrants, the elderly, recovering addicts, and even non-Christians.

Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” He wasn't emphasizing a yearly ceremony, but a mindset: to serve even in the most humbling ways.

In Jesus’ time, foot-washing was the job of a slave. For the Lord and Teacher to do this was shocking—it inverted the social hierarchy. This echoes what he said in Matthew 20:25-29, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Greatness in God’s kingdom is defined not by authority but by servanthood.

Pope Francis, by washing the feet of the marginalised, mirrored Jesus more closely than those who only follow the ritual. The essence is not the act itself, but the heart behind it.

I’ve also been blessed to personally know several church leaders who embodied this kind of humble, servant-hearted leadership—Benny Liew, Chong Swee Tshung, Father Jacob George John, and others. I’ve seen them doing janitorial work in the church or quietly serving behind the scenes, even though they were pastors or priests.

A: I’m not a church leader, but I am a leader in my family, among my friends, and sometimes in my workplace or community. This passage challenges me to ask: Do I lead like Jesus—with humility and service—or do I sometimes enjoy being “in charge” too much?

It’s easy to do tasks or hold roles without adopting the servant mindset. Sadly, there have been popes in history who, while faithfully observing the ritual of foot-washing, didn’t reflect the servant-hearted humility Jesus taught in Matthew 20. Their example reminds me how easy it is to perform outward acts of obedience while missing the deeper call to serve.

I need to embody this spirit of servant leadership in all my leadership roles.

P: Father, thank You for the example Jesus gave of servant leadership. Help me not to seek status or control, but to follow His way of humility. Teach me to lead through serving—in my home, in my work, and in my relationships. Keep me from pride. Shape my heart to reflect Yours. May I never lord it over others, but lead with humility. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day

S: John 11:45-57

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

O: At first glance, it seems disturbing that the Gospel according to John appears to endorse Caiaphas’ murderous and ruthless pronouncement, “It is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He was advocating the murder of an innocent man to maintain political and religious control, all in fear of Roman retaliation—even after witnessing an unmistakable miracle: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead!

How could the religious leaders be so blind? How could they ignore such a staggering sign and instead conspire to kill Jesus?

But John offers a striking theological insight: Caiaphas unknowingly spoke a divine truth. His words, intended for evil, were used by God to reveal the deeper truth of Jesus’ redemptive death—not only for Israel but for all God's scattered children. John is not excusing Caiaphas' motives; he’s showing how God’s sovereign plan can work even through human evil. This echoes other moments in Scripture when God uses flawed or even wicked people to bring about good.

It's like how Alexander the Great, in his ambition, spread Greek culture and language across the known world—paving the way for the Gospel to be written in Greek and spread more easily. Or how Joseph told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

As Romans 8:28 reminds us: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

A: When I see evil people succeed, or when injustice seems to prevail, I can get discouraged. But this passage reminds me that God is still working, even when it seems like evil is winning. He can and does bring good out of wicked schemes—even using the very words of those who oppose Him to reveal His will. We see only “the back of the tapestry” – I must trust that He is weaving a tapestry far more beautiful than I can see from my limited perspective.

P: Father, when I feel overwhelmed by injustice or discouraged by how the wicked seem to prosper, remind me that You are always at work—even when I can’t see it. Help me to trust Your plan, to believe that You can bring beauty out of brokenness, and to walk faithfully in hope. Give me eyes to see Your hand in unexpected places. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Note: I had ChatGPT help edit this a bit.