Maundy Thursday

April 14, 2022

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

The Rush United Methodist Church

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 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.”

| Centering Prayer |

The ongoing daily dialogue we have with the scriptures tells us that

the choices we make in our lives

make a difference

in the eye of God.

A person’s actions,

both publicly and privately,

both seen and unseen,

serve as a window to the soul.

A disciplined, mature spiritual life

could be defined as when a person’s actions

are consistent with the faith they proclaim.

This recognizes and eliminates personal hypocrisy.

This defines authenticity.

This is euphemistically referred to as

“Talking the talk and walking the walk.”

I think of it as living in harmonic rhythm with Christ.

This is my goal as his disciple:

to make what I say and what I do

become not only a harmonic rhythm with each other,

but also, a harmonic rhythm with what Jesus said and what Jesus did.

“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another,”

Jesus instructs his disciples. (John 13:34)

Jesus talked the talk and walked the walk.

Jesus is as authentic as they come.

Our Last Supper setting for this evening begins with His action:

Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

He pours water over their feet, washes, and towel dries.

His actions were startling to his beloved disciples,

perhaps just as startling as they are to us today.

In my opinion, feet are dirty and smelly and rather ugly.

Yet, Jesus washes 12 pairs of feet this evening.

His actions are incredibly humbling.

The teacher is usually the one held in higher esteem than the student.

Yet, Jesus demonstrates that

humility is more important than any lesson plan.

His actions are incredibly courageous.

He knows that his betrayer is in line to have his feet washed.

Time would have stood still.

Tension could have been cut by a knife as Jesus made his way down the line.

Jesus washes the feet of Judas anyways.

The one who is betraying Jesus to the authorities to be killed

is one of those whose feet Jesus washed.

His actions are amazing.

Peter.

The one who

Couldn’t walk on water,

Couldn’t open his mouth without sticking in his foot,

would soon deny Jesus

… not once, not twice, three times …

Gets his feet washed by Jesus, anyways.

His actions were that of a servant.

He rolled up his sleeves

and went about the work of cleaning his follower’s dirty, filthy feet.

Corns, bunions, fungus nails, and hammer toes, oh my!  

His actions are incredibly loving.

It is hard to get more intimate than washing someone else’s feet.

His touch demonstrates how much he loved his closest friends.

Jesus teaches them,

“you also ought to wash one another’s feet… you are blessed if you do them.”

(John 13:14)

When it comes to hypocrisy,

none can be found in Jesus.

Jesus is saying, “Just as I have done, so are you to do to other disciples.”

Treat other followers of Christ with humility,

not according to power or authority,

but as equals,

even if it takes making ourselves less than equals,

servants of all.

Be courageous in service;

extend mission and ministry

to those who are known to have

hurt us,

denied us,

even betrayed us.

Be generous in your service.

Anticipate the need of others,

Then meet and exceed their need

Without drawing attention to yourself.

Be willing to go above and beyond what the world might expect.

Serve simply for the sake of love,

Without any expectation of reciprocity.  

Love enemies, just as we are to love ourselves,

… just as we are to love our God.

Because Jesus washed the feet of his disciples,

it requires that we pay especially close attention to what he has to say.

He gives a new commandment:

“Love one another.

Just as I have loved you,

you also should love one another.”

(John 13:34)

Shouldn’t this be the defining character

that identifies you and me as a follower of Jesus?

Love should define who we are and whose we are.

Often today, we lose sight of this simple, humbling fact.

It is far easier to apply the cultural

ethics and morality of the world upon our church,

than it is to apply this command of Jesus to our lifestyle and decisions.

The church becomes secularized when we import

democracy, authority, and power.

The body is whitewashed by

political agendas,

hunger for money,

power hungry laity, and

ambitious clergy.

The ecclesia becomes just another system of righteous service.

Robert’s Rules of Order is easily reforged into a golden calf.

But Jesus calls us to another, different standard.

The identity of His Body is to be grounded and identified by love.

Show me a community organization that requires everybody to love!

Show me a judicial expectation to love!

Show me a politician who runs on a platform of love.

Show me incorporation papers or by-laws of any business

that demands love define its purpose, culture, or values!

Jesus calls his church, his followers, his disciples to love

– to love one another,

to love our enemies,

to love those who persecute us,

to love those who are un-lovely,

to love those with dirty, smelly, ugly feet.

Jesus calls his church

to love the least fortunate,

the last, least, lost, the left behind.

Jesus calls us

to love the outcast, the poor, the widow, the orphaned, the diseased, the dis- or other-abled, and the imprisoned.

Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God,

with our entire mind,

with all our soul,

with all our strength, and

with all our heart.

That love began with a pitcher of water, a basin, and a towel.

This is his reason:

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another.”

(John 13:35)

In this age of evangelical fervor,

isn’t this the greatest evangelism tool

ever conceived and enacted by Jesus?

When others see our love of God and neighbor,

They’ll want some, too.

You won’t find love in your company’s ethic.

You won’t find love standing before a judge.

You won’t even find love in a therapist’s chair.

Love won’t be found in a course outline or a state curriculum.

You may be searching for love in a failing marriage or broken relationship.

You may even be searching for love from a bottle, from a pill, or in a high.

Love won’t be found there.

By the grace of God,

let others find the love of God here with us!

Open the shades,

that all might look in and see the love that is proclaimed by our congregation,

without hypocrisy,

with integrity and authenticity,

both in our words and in our deeds.

Let us act with humility, with courage, with service, and with love,

just as Jesus did,

washing his disciples’ feet.

Let all the world see and experience God’s love,

as it is meant to be seen and experienced.

There is no greater love than the love Jesus has for you.

We are his disciples, his children, his followers.

It was for our sake that Jesus suffered and died on the cross

– to wash us clean of our sins

– to reconcile us with each other and with our God.

It was for our sake that Jesus rose from the dead

– to give us the gift of eternal life.

It was for our sake that Jesus broke bread and shared the cup

– to give us the sweet anticipation of his return and

the love in which we are enveloped. 

That same bread and cup are shared here this evening,

Breaking our Lenten fast.

Tomorrow, his passion will be told.

And Sunday, His resurrection will be proclaimed.

Actions do speak louder than words.

Have love for one another, my beloved,

just as Jesus loves you.

And by your love, you will be known.

Amen.