When you shouldn’t tell a leopard by its spots – John 13:18-38, Part 1

“You can tell a leopard by its spots.”

“You can know a tiger by its stripes.”

Are these phrases always true? I don’t think so. When I take my dog running, we almost always run by the home of a neighbor a few doors down from us. They have ornamental sheep in their front flower bed. The sheep are made of what appears to be concrete, and semi-realistic. If you saw them, you would immediately know they are ornamental. My dog, however, thinks they are real. Every single time we run by that yard, he lunges out toward the sheep, just like he does with other dogs, squirrels or rabbits. And every time the sheep make no movement. We’ve run by that house hundreds of times. My dog reacts that way every time.

I know that you and I have more intelligence than dogs. Like I said, if you saw the sheep, you would not be fooled in the least. But I suspect you have been fooled by people. I would venture a guess that you have thought people were one way and they turned out to be very different. A person who gives a warm, likeable first impression just might really be cold and difficult. A person who seems quiet and aloof can be fiercely loyal and humorous.

We’re going to see this surprising principle at work in the story we’re studying this week. There is often a lot more going on under the surface of people’s lives. Before we started reading our passage for this week, let’s review so we know the setting. In John 13, verse 1, we read, 

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”

Jesus and his disciples are at the Last Supper.  He has just washed the disciples’ feet, instructing them to follow his example of loving servanthood. 

The foot-washing was an act of love by Jesus to his disciples.  There was a warmth in that room, an affection between a rabbi and his followers.  He instructs them to follow his example, and what’s more, look at what he says in verse 17,

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

This is a very encouraging, hopeful, joyful teaching. The disciples could easily be thinking, “I love this guy, I love being his follower, and he wants to bless us.”  So far, it seems their Passover gathering was warm and celebratory, the kind where people are laughing and having a great time. 

In the middle of their joy, Jesus says something that doesn’t fit the mood.  Look at verse 18,

 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’”

If you were there that night, I think you would have sensed a change come over Jesus.  Likely his tone of voice became more concerned.  The look on his face darkened a bit. 

He is saying, “You know all that stuff I just said, all that about you guys following my example of love, and that you will be blessed if you do these things?  Well, that doesn’t apply to all of you.”

If I am one of the disciples sitting around the table, I am instantly confused. Those disciples could be thinking, “What does he mean that his teaching doesn’t apply to all of us?  Aren’t we all equal parts of the group?  How can he say, ‘I know those I have chosen’?  Hasn’t he chosen all of us?  Why is he quoting Psalm 41, in which King David writing about his friend betraying him?  Is Jesus saying that psalm applies to us?  Is he saying one of us is going to betray him?”

Yes, Jesus is beginning to reveal the shocking news that one of the Twelve will betray him.  But why?  Is he just being dramatic?  Why does he say this before the betrayal?  He answers that question in verse 19,

“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.”

Do you get what he is saying to them?  Jesus knows that in just a few hours’ time, these men will experience their world turned upside down.  He is trying to prepare them for that upheaval.  When it seems like all is falling apart, he wants to help them remain steadfast, because he knows they will have a strong urge to give in to fear, run away, hide, and give up. 

By quoting the psalm, he is hinting that someone would betray him, and he is telling them in advance so that when it happens, they will be able to say, “OH, he said this would happen, he was right, he is the Messiah, he is the truth.”  Jesus wants to help them confirm their belief in him.

Photo by Geran de Klerk on Unsplash