He Meant What He Said

During his 30-year ministry, a certain pastor became known far and wide as an effective preacher: a spellbinder. Each week he would finish writing his Sunday sermon on Wednesday, and for the next three days he would practice delivering it by reading it aloud in his study — often very loud. One Saturday night, as he went into his study to work on his delivery, he found that someone had tacked a sign on the door. It read: “This is where our pastor practices what he preaches.”

In today’s Gospel Lesson, Jesus says to His disciples: “He who finds His life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt. 10:39). This is one of many ways in which Jesus instructed His followers to practice what they preach.

In the Apostle John’s account of the “Last Supper,” Jesus rises from the table, pours water into a basin, washes the disciples feet and wipes them dry with…