Maundy Thursday Musings

Growing up, and even now, Maundy Thursday is rarely acknowledged, or a reason for a church service.  We tend to think that Friday and Sunday is what we need to acknowledge.  The church building which we rent, The Bridge, was going to have a service tonight, but unfortunately it got cancelled.  So, it got me to thinking, what is Maundy Thursday?  I had always assumed that it referred to the night that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mt. of Olives, just before he was betrayed.  While that is true, there is a different focus that I had no idea about.  That said, I do know what happened before Jesus was betrayed.  😊

I had to look up what Maundy means.  From dictionary.com, it states, “the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor”.  Another site stated that Maundy is from the Latin word “mandatum” which means “commandment”.  At first, I was puzzled, how can it mean both?   Yet, John 13 gives us the answer.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples.  The washing of feet and commandment are connected.  John 13 is a beautiful account of the Last Supper, and quite comprehensive in telling us all that Jesus taught his disciples.  What command? John 13:34 “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” 

Even when “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father…” (vs 1), he kept right on teaching and instructing his disciples.  Love for them is what was behind it all.  Verses 1-11 tells us the story of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet.  There is a conversation with Peter – which of course is in typical Peter style: black or white, all or nothing! I wonder what the other disciples were thinking when Peter went from “you’re not washing my feet” to “wash all of me!” in one moment!

It is important to understand the feet washing custom of those days.  The land was arid, dry and dusty, and the people did not have Vans or Reebok’s, they had sandals, so naturally their feet were always dirty.   When coming to someone’s home, especially for dinner, it was customary for a servant of that home to wash the visitor’s feet.  Certainly, the owner or host of the meal to be served did not ever do that menial job!  That job was for the least of the least.  But here we see Jesus, the King of kings, the eternal Son of God, the Messiah, Redeemer, take on the lowest of chores! As the host of the meal, this was unheard of!  No wonder Peter resisted.  After all, he had confessed that Jesus was the Christ.  Paul, in his letter to the Philippians went to great lengths to describe the Jesus we see here. 

Following the word picture he had just acted out he gave them the clear teaching to imitate him. He said to them, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (vs 15).  Prior to this, in verse 10, he had already spoken of Judas’ betrayal when he said, “And you are clean, but not every one of you.” Of course, the disciples did not understand yet what that referred to.  They had not truly comprehended that Jesus was walking to the cross to die.

But in verses 21-30, we read the story of Judas’ betrayal.  Jesus pointedly said that one of the 12 would betray him.  That was pretty clear! Clearer than what he said in verse 10!   But even then, when Jesus gave the bread which he had dipped to Judas – after saying that this would indicate who would betray him – they still didn’t or couldn’t grasp what was going on!   Jesus told Judas to get on with what he was going to do.  After this we read in verse 28, “But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.”  Jesus had said that Judas would betray him, and they concluded that Judas was being sent to buy more food or give to the poor. 

I don’t think Jesus could have been clearer!  This should give us cause to reflect.  How often don’t we read in God’s Word what is absolutely clear and then find another way to explain it to ourselves?   We don’t like or can’t comprehend what we hear, so we justify our desires and feelings by re-wording it to our liking.  Just like the disciples did when Jesus told Judas to go.  After all, what Jesus was clear about did not sit well with them!

Finally, in verses 31-35, Jesus gives the disciples the new command, “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.”  Surely the disciples knew this was in connection to Jesus washing their feet!   Although Peter only seemed to latch on to what Jesus said,  “Where I am going, you cannot come.”, when he asked, “Lord, where are you going?”.    It’s like he heard that and then, distracted by the troubling thought of Jesus leaving, just doesn’t hear the command.  He missed the main point. 

So why is the story of Judas smack dab in the middle of the account of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet and his giving the new command?  I think the answer lies in belief and love, shown in service. In verse 18-20, Jesus predicts the betrayal quoting Psalm 41:9: “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.”.  He then says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I sent accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”  (that’s the NIV translation, the ESV use receive in place of accept.).   Receives – by faith!  With love!  And service!    And then immediately following in verse 21, Jesus was “troubled in spirit”.  We cannot take this to mean that he was troubled in general about what was going to happen in the coming hours.  No, he was troubled because he was going to be betrayed!  “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.” (vs 21).  A friend.  A disciple who had been with him for 3 years was going to cowardly and greedily turn him into the very people who wanted him dead.  Judas does not believe in Jesus, and by association does not receive him or the Father.  Satan had entered him, and he had made his decision willfully despite hearing the Gospel repeatedly and seeing the miracles.  Being betrayed is an act of hatred and disdain.

So after Judas left, Jesus turns back to his lesson on humility and service, and gives them a “new” commandment – to love one another.  Loving others sacrificially leads to humility and service. Loving others is a witness. Today we embrace this as the body of Christ.

We desire to live out our faith in Jesus by loving our neighbours (both within and outside the church) sacrificially with humility shown in acts of service – whether we pray with someone, bring a new mom or a recovering person a meal, provide meals for the community dinners, drive someone to an appointment, clean someone’s home, lead in singing in worship, babysit in the church nursery.   The world will see that we are Christians, because we follow Jesus and also love one another! 

But, do we really show this to the watching world? What does the world see of us online? What attitudes are they seeing from us? Pride? Anger? Haughtiness “better than thou” disposition? Malice? Envy? Greed?  Or are we showing them love, humility, kindness, gentleness, self-control, indeed all the fruit of the Spirit.   It’s easier for us to behave this way in person – at church with our brothers and sisters in Christ, or if we bring a Christmas hamper to a needy family – but behind a screen we can display a different brand of Christianity that does not reflect Jesus’ love and humility and service.  A brand that is rightly labeled hypocritical.  We need to look in our hearts and ask, “Are we imitating Jesus?  Are we being sacrificial and showing our love in acts of service with humility, in our conversations, our online interactions, our thoughts, our deeds?” 

On this Maundy Thursday, may we reflect Jesus’ actions and his teaching that he showed over 2000 years ago. 

I’ll leave you with the words from the hymn:

“They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love”

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.

Chorus:

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand; We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand; And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side; We will work with each other, we will work side by side; And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride.

All praise to the Father, from whom all things come; And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son. And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one.

Grace and Peace!