Thursday, March 20, 2008

Maundy Thursday

How Will They Know Series

 

Matthew 26:22 “Surely not I Lord?” 

 

An Eventful Meal

 

Have you ever had an experience where it seemed as though you were not in possession of a pertinent fact?   In the Passover meal, Jesus knew much, his disciples did not.  Jesus knew that this would be His last meal with His disciples.   The disciples thought it was just another Passover, for Jesus it was THE PASSOVER.   Jesus approached it with great sadness because He knew he would never be with His disciples like this again.   He also knew that he had much to share with them.  

He wanted to be with his disciples alone. This meant there would be no serving person with them.  It was customary and also necessary that the disciple’s feet needed to be washed.  They only wore sandals and the elements of the outside world would be left on their feet – certainly dust, sweat, and possibly more pungent natural elements.   The servant always washed the feet of the guest.  In this instance there was no servant so Jesus looked at his disciples to see who would volunteer for this servant’s task.   All the disciples by their body language made it clear they did not want to be a servant.   Jesus, in response, took off his outer coat and washed the feet of the disciples.   He asked his disciples when he had finished, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He summarized this teaching moment by saying, “Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet.”  Jesus was teaching them that the role of a Christian should be one of service.

 

The second striking event of the night was that he instituted Holy Communion by simply taking up the bread and the cup, comparing these simple elements with his body and blood broken for them.  He instructed, “Whenever you eat and drink of my table, remember me.”   In this way he began what is our tradition of Holy Communion.  

 

Thirdly, He said, “One of the twelve will betray me.”   When he said this, each of the disciples said, “Surely it is not I, Lord.”   I think it would be natural for each of us if we had heard Jesus make this remark to wonder how we might have betrayed Him.  Judas, of course, remembered as the villain of history, betrayed his Lord.   Judas did it maybe for the money, or possibly that he was disappointed that Jesus had not chosen a more temporal kingdom rather than a kingdom of hearts.   Maybe Judas wanted to be part of his cabinet and envisioned the kingdom as palaces and armies and the subservience of others.  Regardless, for thirty pieces of silver, Judas betrayed Jesus and sold cheaply his Lord and sadly his own soul.  

 

When we come to Maundy Thursday, we come remembering the events of a meal that echo down to our own age.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to remember and understand.  Amen.