A New Commandment – April 1, Maundy Thursday

Today it begins.  Today we begin the ever-quickening descent with our Lord to the Cross.  Today is Maundy Thursday, tomorrow, Good Friday, and Sunday morning Easter Sunday.  These are not three services or days but one service, one day, one quick and steady descent with our Lord to his voluntary suffering.  The readings on these days will be longer than normal but I encourage you not to skim them.  Breath deep of the scriptures on these days, read them two or three times, let us truly remember the events of these days.  Not just remember like we recall a sports score or a phone number, but remember as if we are there, as if we are witnessing these acts and are participants with Christ.

Luke 13:1-35 TNIV

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.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 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.

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.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“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. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

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. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

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

“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

for Today’s full text read: John 13:1-17:26 (click here if you want to read it online)

Together with his disciples Jesus partakes of a final meal and at some point during the course of the meal Jesus stands up, wraps a towel around his waist and proceeds to do the task of the lowest servant – washing the feet of the disciples.

So often when we think of the Last Supper we think of the famous painting and the fact that Jesus instituted Holy Communion.  But John, instead of emphasizing the beginning of the sacrament of Communion decides to emphasize the fact that Jesus washed the disciples feet.

John isn’t downplaying the importance of Communion (he alludes greatly to it throughout his Gospel) and he isn’t instituting a new sacrament (the Church has never taught this) but instead he is emphasizing something else that is very important.

Jesus, right before he was taken captive, tried, and crucified; washed feet.  He did something that was completely below himself.  Right before the greatest act of love in history (the Cross) Jesus humbled himself by washing the feet of the disciples.

Why did Jesus do this?  Jesus was showing them what true love for one another looks like even before the Cross.  After Jesus washed their feet he goes on to give them a new commandment.  He tells them that the new command is to “love one another.”

Just incase the disciples didn’t understand what exactly was meant by loving one another Jesus showed them.  He showed them that loving others means humbling yourself, being willing to sacrifice, and not considering yourself too important or too special to do even the small and dirty stuff.

Think of it, the God of the Universe washed feet.  The hands that formed Adam from dust now washed the dust off of the feet of the disciples.  The God that allowed Israel to walk across the Red Sea on dry ground now dried the feet of the disciples with a towel.

Jesus Christ humbled himself and did the task of a servant even before he completed the deepest act of humility and gave his life up for us on a cross.

And so should it be with us.  This is the attitude that we should have towards one another.  Throughout Lent we have been talking about stripping ourselves of pride that we might have the mind of Christ.  This is what that looks like.  Today is Maundy Thursday a name that is taken from the Latin to mean “mandate or command.”  The command of Jesus is simple – Love one another.  Simple…and yet it is so hard.

Today we somberly begin a participation with Christ in the last events of his life.  We remember the institution of Communion and the washing of the feet.  In both of these the command of Christ is love.  Love one another.

Let us live lives of humility and love toward one another that we may fulfill the “new command” of Christ our God.

Closing Prayer:

O Lord and master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.  O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother or sister for blessed are you always.  Amen

– The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem