Yesterday, I travelled from my hometown to Las Vegas. It was a 3+ hour flight. I was tired. I'd slept fitfully for the past few nights. Yet, I knew last night I needed to go to church. It is not a celebration but rather a remembrance of our Lord. Jesus being betrayed; the final pronouncement of his "guilt". It was the "perfect storm" and yet, planned from the beginning of time. Last night was a time of reflection; for what have we done to deserve God's grace and mercy, poured out in the sacrificial blood of our Savior?
Our Scripture was from John 13: 1-35. (The Message) "Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.
Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"
Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing but it will be clear enough to you later."
Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet -- ever!"
Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."
"Master!" said Peter. "not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"
Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. but not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master, ' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it--and live a blessed life."
"I'm not including all of you in this. I know precisely whom I've selected, so as not to interfere with the fulfillment of this Scripture: The one who ate bread at my table turned on his heel against me."
"I'm telling you all this ahead of time so that when it happens you will believe that I am who I say I am. Make sure you get this right: Receiving someone I send is the same as receiving me, just as receiving me is the same as receiving the One who sent me."
After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. "One of you is going to betray me."
The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, "Master, who?"
Jesus said, "The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I've dipped it." Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.
"What you must do," said Jesus, "do. Do it and get it over with."
No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
Judas with the piece of bread, left. It was night.
When he had let, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God's glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified -- glory all around!"
"Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I'm telling you: 'Where I go, you are not able to come.'
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples -- when they see the love you have for each other."
I've highlighted some key points in that passage; holiness, humbling yourself, live a blessed life, glorify God, and love one another as Christ loved you. Maundy comes from the word mandate. Jesus gave his disciples a mandate on that night. Love one another the way He loved them. Make no mistake. This was Jesus' chosen ones. He hand-picked these men to travel with him. He knew that they would one day glorify the Father; but they needed to love others -- even the unlovable.
In the same way, we are called to love others as He loved us. This mandate was not just for those twelve but for the generations to come after; for although they were vessels with which he poured his light, they were able to spread the Good News so that future generations could likewise be the light.
When Jesus met with people, he frequently met with them at night; in darkness. Why is that? Why would He do some of his most significant work at night or in the darkness? Because He is the Light.
So what is your darkness? What are your failures? Do you serve others as God Incarnate served His disciples? Are you willing to be the one to 'wash the feet of others', knowing that you are no greater than the one you serve? Think about the power in this section of text from the Bible. Are you able to humble yourself, glorify God, and love others? By doing so, you will be holy and live a blessed life.
Jesus was betrayed on that night. He was the sacrificial Lamb. He was beaten beyond recognition and tortured; mocked and spit upon. God Incarnate - our Savior. He came for us. He humbled himself for us. He could have saved himself, and yet he chose to follow God's plan.
As we move toward Easter, we need to reflect on all our Savior did for us. He did nothing to warrant the punishment that was meted out on him; he was blameless. Humble yourself for just one moment. Love others as you have been loved. Serve others -- be the example that Christ was for us. We fall short everyday and yet, we each have the power within us to glorify Him. Don't just talk the talk -- be willing to walk it. He loved others enough to humble himself. If you think about it, you can, too. Imagine the world if we all just take that small, yet significant step toward Him. Go ahead; glorify Him in your thoughts, words and deeds. Be a blessing for you have been blessed by God's holy love, grace and mercy. Without Him, we are nothing.
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