What also remains inescapable, if we are paying attention to the movement of the two passages in both Philippians (2:5-11) and John (13:1-12), is the way that what follows, in both cases, parallel each other. This serves to bolster the notion that what was being said about Jesus (among other things), as represented by the hymn that Paul includes in his letter to the Philippians, as well as what comes both before and after the hymn, helped to shape the way that Jesus is presented in the Gospels. This is not to imply that the Gospel writers simply made up stories to suit what was being communicated about Jesus, but to imply that the oral traditions about Jesus shaped the theology of the early church, and that the developed and developing theology (and Christology, soteriology, Christology, sociology) of the early church helped to provide shape to the way that the Gospels, when they came to be written, presented the historical Jesus. In turn then, the Gospels would have an impact on the later New Testament writings, such as Revelation, thus explaining why both the Gospels and the letters must receive adequate treatment in any attempt to determine what it is that is being communicated to the seven churches in the chapter two and three of that work.
Re-narrowing our focus then, we read in Philippians (still positioning ourselves as hearers at a meal table), “So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in My presence but even more in My absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort---for the sake of His good pleasure---is God. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. And in the same way you should also be glad and rejoice together with me” (2:12-18). By now, the inclusion of words such as “boasting” and “drink offering,” and the connection of such words to a meal context (remember the symposium) should not escape our notice.
When considering all that we have seen and said to this point, it takes very little creativity to notice the passive connection between this passage and the follow-up passage in John’s thirteenth chapter. Turning there, and again, considering the more than obvious influence of the Philippian hymn, and remembering that the Gospels were meant to be delivered as performance pieces in a largely illiterate and orally attuned culture, it takes very little by way of creative imagination to hear the parallels. Having re-taken His position at the table, Jesus says, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example---you should do just as I have done for you.” (13:12b-15).
With “salvation” linked to an acceptance of the Gospel proclamation of Jesus as Lord, we can certainly understand the need to work that out with awe and reverence, especially considering the implications in the Roman world for an active declaration of a Lord to rival Caesar. The call to wash feet, though it may certainly be worthy of emulation, is less of a call to engage in similar action, and far more related to the need to follow the example of Jesus in taking up the lowest place and its associated shame. This is yet another way that Jesus points to the cross and to His call for those that join in His kingdom movement (disciples) to take up their cross and follow Him. Just as the position of foot-washer was the lowest position at the meal, so too was the cross the lowest position in the world of Jesus’ day.
Knowing the type of thoughts that His example would provoke, Jesus continues on to say, “I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (13:16), which fits nicely with Paul’s insistence to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure.” Additionally, Paul’s declaration that “I am glad and rejoice together with all of you,” together with its close of “And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me,” finds its counterpart in “If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (13:17). Interestingly, Paul moves from there to a mention of Timothy, writing that “there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you…that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the Gospel” (2:20,22b), whereas in John, continuing what appears to be a minor-emulation of the structure of Paul’s letter, Jesus goes on to speak of Judas, saying “The one who eats my bread has turned against me” (13:18b), and “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray Me” (13:21b). All of this, we must remember, owing to Paul’s implicit presentation, along with John’s explicit presentation, occurs in connection with meals.
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