Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday –‘Passover Day’

Today is ‘Passover Day’!

Often on this day we focus on the feast – the Passover - and so as Christians we celebrate this day by sharing in Communion. As we cannot do that this year, let us instead focus on Jesus’ command to follow his example to love and serve one another. For it was on this night just a few days before Jesus died, that the gospel of grace was laid out for his disciples to pick up, follow and live by – a gospel of grace which we too should be picking up, following and living by today.

Jesus through his action of washing his disciples’ feet on this Passover night gives the disciples an abiding memory because he does not want them to ever forget his words and his actions! Why? So that when he is no longer with them they will remember this night, this action, and they will follow his command to ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ and in doing so they will truly be servants to others.

Everything Jesus taught the disciples, everything they saw in his life is summed up in this new commandment to them and if they practice such love then they will be recognised as followers of Jesus and if we practice such love we will be too.

     

Today’s reading is John 13: 1-17, 31b-35

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 everyone 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, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. “Now the Son of Man is 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.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

Reflection

I offer today a Reflection by one of my colleagues on the ‘Spill the Beans’ team Rev Liz Crumlish who posted this today on her blog ‘Journalling’ under the title ‘Do as I have done.…’ which is a quote from our scripture text today (I am sure she won’t mind me sharing it – she is so gifted when reflecting!). Her words just seemed to me to be so relevant to our situation at this uncertain time and perfectly portray the sentiment behind Jesus’ words and so I am replacing my intended reflection with hers! I have changed the layout a little to save space!

The foot washing we mimic in our pimped up sanctuaries on Maundy Thursday with our tepid water and pristine white fluffy towels will never get close to the ritual played out by Jesus who handled the feet of grown men who had just traversed the gutters and cesspools of Jerusalem at festival time.

Our notions of servanthood can barely compute the magnitude of the teacher stooping, kneeling, bathing; caressing the soles of his disciples. And all without PPE.

But today all over the world we are witnessing such magnitude of selfless giving in our frontline workers who are risking all to care for the ill and the dying.

Today, at every turn, we are being confronted with tangible reminders of what servanthood looks like and of the cost of love.

So maybe it’s a good thing that we won’t be able to gather and re-enact a ritual.

Instead, as we bear witness to an extravaganza of costly love may we not look away but, rather, observe and stand in awe of the servants who are teaching us today about stepping up and stepping out to love and to serve.

And may we never forget our debt of gratitude for their acts of servant love.

Prayer

Loving Lord Jesus,

You took on the form of a servant washing the feet of your disciples, defining humility and servanthood for us. You loved to the end, even unto death and established for us a new commandment. Lord, teach us to be servants, to make humility our constant companion and to love others as you did. Be with us as we try to live out your new commandment in every moment and every aspect of our lives. We ask this in your name. Amen

Symbolic Action

Make a little reflective space and place bread and wine or grain and grapes within it and simply taste them – no need for words – just let the silence speak to you.  

Then sing through ‘A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.’

***Please Note***

If you have access to a computer or a tablet please go to spillbeans.org.uk where some of the ‘Spill the Beans’ team in conjunction with Fischy Music have put together family worship for each day of Holy Week focusing on Mark’s gospel and where today’s reading for Maundy Thursday focuses on Peter and his denial of Jesus.