Our loving God, teach us to love one another as Christ has loved us, so that everyone will know that we are his disciples. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Our message tonight is all about love. The love that Jesus shows us, and then the love he would have us give to one another. “Love Received, Love to Give.”
Let’s put this love in context based on the Gospel that we have just read. I would like to ask you all a question: What would you do if you knew you would die a violent death in about twelve hours? Would you want to be alone in prayer? Would you spend time with those you loved? would you focus on what’s most important in your life?
Jesus knew the time had come for him to leave this world, and he took off his cloak, put a towel around his waist, and washed the dirty feet of his disciples. Who’s going to waste time on that when the end is so near? Jesus did. Why? Because he wanted to show them how important it is to humbly serve one another, to love one another sacrificially and unconditionally.
This love is not a love that we show only to our relatives, our friends, the people we know, or the people who speak like us, but more importantly those we do not know, and those who are in need.
For instance, the people of Ukraine we don’t know, but many of them have been killed. Those who are still alive are suffering; their homes have been destroyed. Even though we do not know them, as believers of Jesus, we are called to love them in word and action. It is important to pray for them, it also important to send a monetary contribution to them. Love received, and love to give.
Jesus washed the dirty feet of his disciples’ to give them instructions about love. He wanted them to apply this love to their daily lives. Also, to spread his good news to this world of darkness, so that everyone would know, they are his disciples. As I’ve said, Jesus ’love is agape love, sacrificial love and unconditional love- It is out of standing.
Jesus knows Peter is going to deny him. He knows Judas is going to betray him- He also knows other disciples are going to flee him during his arrest and crucifixion.
What did Jesus do? He continued to love them to the end- washing their dirty feet to the day, before his crucifixion.
Such love requires humility, meaning a quality of thinking of others better than yourself, being interested not only in ourselves but also concern for anothers well being.
Now, take a moment and meditate on Jesus’ humility in Philippians 2: 7- 8. Being in the very nature of God…Jesus made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. He humbled himself by becoming obedient….up to his death on the cross.
Let’s go back to his cleansing of his disciples feet. In John’s gospel, it speaks of how this one act displayed Jesus’ great love for all disciples, including all of us, as sinners– Again, this is agape love in action.
This Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, Jesus sends us an invitation to share love and as we recieve it, share with those we know and those we do not know. We need to share in a tangible way as Jesus did. Love received, love to give.
This new invitation is related to Jesus’ new commandment. Listen to this: I give to you, said Jesus, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Jesus sends us an invitation to continue to share our love with one another, and live in the present moment, even though we feel the world becomes a dark place with this war in Ukraine, more than ever.
Now, I have another question for you: how many of you have washed feet on Maundy Thursday?
As a priest, I had that experience once, it was in 2007 at St Joseph ‘s Episcopal Church in Queens Village, Long Island City. I was an assistant priest- The rector of the parish reminded all parishioners two weeks in advance that he will do the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday.
During the worship, there were two lines. One on the left, and the other on the right. The rector washed the feet of those who were in the right line, and I washed those who were on the left side. At the end, the rector washed my feet, and I did the same thing for him.
Because we reminded the parishioners, we found all parishioners’ feet were clean. For Jesus, however,
the disciples were not aware of that washing- their feet were dirty. On the night before his death, while the disciples sat down for a meal, Jesus gets up, he takes off his garments, he rolls up his sleeves, wraps the towel around himself, and grabs the water and the wash basin. The disciples were shocked- some of them said: “What? What is he doing? This is crazy, shocking! Jesus, the dinner’s host, the head guy, humbling himself like that, taking the place of a servant? Jesus, the master, the teacher, is actually going to wash his disciples’ feet! This can’t be! This is just not done!
By washing his disciples’ feet intentionally, Jesus shows his great love. He wanted to encourage all of his disciples to perform the same action.
After Jesus washed their feet one by one, Jesus told them- you say that I am your master- you are right. If I am your master and I wash your feet, that means, you as my servant need to wash the feet of others as well. You need to serve others with humility and love.
The whole point of Jesus washing his dirty disciples ‘ feet is to show that he is the model servant, the model of love. He gave them instructions to prepare them for his death and resurrection, from these events Their lives would change forever.
Jesus has shown us by word and deed that you cannot call yourself a Christian if you are unwilling to serve in love and humility. In other words, each of us should be willing to humble ourselves, to demonstrate our love for those we serve with love, agape love.
I close this message of our Maundy Thursday with this prayer:
Loving God, help us to love you until our last breath.
We prefer to die loving You, rather than to live for a single moment without loving You and one another. Our loving God, if our tongue is not able to say, at every opportunity that we love You, and we love others, at least we want our heart to repeat it to You as many times as we take a breath. Our loving God, the closer we come to our final end, the more we beseech You to intensify and perfect our love for You and one another. In Jesus, your Beloved Son. Amen.
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