Maundy Thursday
Meditation by: Rev. Mary Alice Mulligan, Ph.D.
Scripture: John 13:1-17, 31-35
The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tell their stories of Jesus with many similar characteristics. The time and events flow along parallel lines; lots of the same people appear. Don’t get me wrong; there are important differences, but the storylines are very similar, and the pictures we gather from the synoptics somehow go together fairly well. However, the Gospel of John is a most dissimilar creature. No baptism of Jesus happens in John. Holy Week is quite distinct from the other Gospels. No Lord’s Supper is instituted in John; the meal is an ordinary one a full day before Passover begins. After supper, Jesus does not spend time in agony in the Garden. In John, Jesus is always in control. Even on the cross, Jesus is in control. He is not executed; he “gives up” his spirit.
This evening, we listen together to the final meal Jesus shares with his disciples. In John, there is no Eucharist. Instead, Jesus initiates foot washing as an important, repeatable ritual. Then he gives a lengthy final discourse while still together indoors. He only goes to the garden to give himself up. Stop now and read John 13:1-7, 31-35.
A few years ago, as a liturgical holy day approached, an African American pastor, Paul Abernathy, preached that “…we do not recount the record of our redemption simply to retell biblical events. No. We retell the story so that it takes deeper root in us. We retell the story so that we become the story…" (1) St. Andrew gathers here tonight to listen again to the still point of Holy Week, as Jesus gathered with his closest disciples to share a final meal, a moment of peace, before torturous chaos breaks in.
So, what is Jesus doing? As opposition is mounting all around him, Jesus gives himself into the situation. Everyone at the Table wants him to call down legions of angels to protect them, to wipe out the civil and religious authorities who are after their whole group. But Jesus instead rises from the table, puts on an apron, and takes on the lowliest task in the household. He washes the feet of all 12 of the disciples, including Judas. Jesus gives himself completely to serving them.
Because the writer of the story is John, we have no doubt that Jesus remains in charge through the whole event. He chooses what happens. His self-giving service to his followers reveals the empowering presence of God among them. But this power is not the kind that eradicates the enemy. God’s power is self-giving servanthood.
When any of us is under threat, our natural inclination is to do whatever it takes to make it stop. Jesus does the opposite; his reaction is counterintuitive. As he takes the basin, heaven is stooping to Earth. The disciples’ leader is the one who performs the most humiliating tasks, which means the lesson of humility and self-giving service is what Jesus wants to take root in us. He says it plainly; he has set an example to follow. They should do what he has done. If their Lord and teacher washed their feet, then they ought to wash each other’s feet. He completes the explanation: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus tells the disciples to follow his example.
Then Jesus hands us the towel. Okay, this part may not be explicitly in the story, but it is implied. John is not writing for us to learn what happened back then. He writes so we know what Jesus wants of us now. If we are his disciples, then he expects us to pick up his towel. All of his followers, from the first century to the 21st, are to love one another with Christlike love. Of course, if that means we are to love all the other people in our church family, then we are all home free since St. Andrew people are easy to love. But Jesus didn’t limit his sacrificial love to those in his inner circle. He loved every person who crossed his path. People with leprosy, a foreign woman at a well, sticky children, people who cried out for attention when he was bone weary and just wanted to be alone, and even those who crucified him. He called out for God to forgive them. So, we are to love anyone who crosses our path, regardless of political party or honesty or religious commitment. Even those who cannot accept us.
On Tuesday of this week, the Bible study group finished up Paul’s letter to the Romans. Chapter 15 verse 7 says, “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Which is pretty close to: we are to love as Christ loved us. We are to welcome as Christ welcomed us.
So the first question we need to ask is: How does Christ love us? Or how does Christ welcome us? Christ’s acceptance of us is extended before we do anything to clean up our lives. Unconditionally, we are welcomed into the presence of God. So, our self-giving love must be extended to anyone because Jesus gives himself away completely for us. He suffers and serves and loves and gives. So likewise, we are to suffer and serve and love and give.
Someone said of St. Teresa of Calcutta, “Her secret is that she is free to be nothing. Therefore, God can use her for anything.” Quite a powerful idea. Or we might modify the image slightly to say we should be free to place ourselves completely in God’s hands, so God can use us to serve anyone. If we follow the self-giving love of Jesus, we look down and see Christ’s towel now in our hands.
(1) Sermon by Paul Abernathy, in African American Pulpit, 1998.