Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34
In high school, I once missed soccer practice to acolyte on Maundy Thursday. One of my friends thought I was making up some fictitious holy day. As I walked out of school, he protested, “That’s not a real thing! You’re making it up. What’s Monday Thursday?” I remember mumbling some reply about the Last Supper. Today, I’d like a chance to redo my response.
Maundy (not Monday) Thursday comes from the Latin word mandatum. It means commandment, and from that root we get the word “mandate.” On this day, always the Thursday before Easter Sunday, we begin the holiest days of our Christian year (the Triduum or Three Days) by celebrating Jesus’ new commandment for us. What was Christ Jesus’ commandment? “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
On Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus’ words to love one another, but more importantly we recall and rehearse his actions. On this night, the whole Church universal will take part in the embarrassing act of servanthood that is washing one another’s feet — just like Jesus did. What might be the most powerful aspect of Jesus’ action though gets left out of our selected text from John.
In John 13:30, we read that Judas was at supper with Jesus, received a piece of bread from him, and left to go betray him. This means that Judas was present earlier in the evening during the foot washing. This means that Jesus stooped down and washed Judas’ feet. This means that on top of humbling himself to the place of a servant, Jesus did this for his betrayer. Come to think of it, all of Jesus’ disciples, in the end, deserted him. While Jesus lovingly serving these misfits might shock us, it is overwhelmingly good news!
Our Lord’s humiliating act of servanthood wasn’t meant simply for ones who persevere. It wasn’t only for the followers who got it right or stuck with it. Instead, Jesus modeled a radical love for us — one that included him loving betrayers, deserters, and enemies. Then on top of that, he commanded us to love everyone in that same way PERIOD. Yes, love your family, friends, and neighbors. But, also love your betrayers and deserters, the cowards and the losers, the unloving and the unloveables. Love EVERYONE! That’s what this day is all about.
It’s the day when we remember Jesus’ love by taking part in the same embarrassing act he did. It’s the day when we see Jesus model what radical, inclusive, self-giving love looks like. It’s the day when Jesus commanded us to love everyone — even our most bitter enemy — in the same way he did, by becoming a servant of one another. Just as Jesus has loved us, we should love one another. By this everyone will know that we are Christ’s followers, if we have love for one another.
The Rev. Seth Olson
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