Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2013

Tonight we remember Jesuss commandment to remember him by sharing a meal and by serving each other. By loving each other. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. If you have love for one another. Typical Jesus reflecting the abundance of God doesnt just show us ONE way to love each other tonight but TWO. First, he bends down and washes the feet of his disciples. And when Peter resists either because he is too proud or too pious because he knows who Jesus is and he just cannot fathom that God Incarnate would wash his feet Jesus warns him sternly if you do not let me wash you then you have no part with me. Can you imagine? I imagine Peters head whipping right around. In one minute he is too pious to have his feet washed too worried about the symbolism of a Lord and God who stoops to serve too worried about his own unworthiness of an act of such intimate love And then suddenly, because of Jesus words he does a total 180 at the threat of having no part in Gods kingdom Peter suddenly changes his mind Lord, not just my feet but also my hands and head! Peter needed to accept NOT only the Christ who is God not only the Eternal Word through whom all things came into being NOT just Christ as cosmic Messiah BUT ALSO Christ as Servant and Friend.
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Peter needed to accept not only the Christ he needed for salvation but also the Christ he needed to know and love intimately. The Christ who wanted to have a personal relationship with him. The Christ he needed on a day to day basis to do the fairly mundane act of washing his feet. Because lets remember it was dirty. Their feet were dirty. And washing ones feet was a necessary, run of the mill thing yet, a thing that servants did. Peter comes to know in this moment his Lord and Savior more intimately having to put down his pride and his piety and accept Jesus love in this way, too. We, too, must learn to put aside our pride and our piety and those things that allow us to push Jesus away. Those things that allow us to draw the outline of God in Christ and say this is all he is. Because our imaginations our profiles our images of who Christ is can never suffice can never hold all that this Messiah & Servant is. Like Peter, we must learn to let Christ serve us intimately closely and daily. Because like Peter, we need him. We dont like to feel that way. Strength in this case is the ability to say: I need you. And like Peter we need to be reminded that we not only need to serve but we need to be servedby Christand by each other. We must learn to accept this help to say We need you. And we need each other.

Then, tonight we also remember Jesus institution of the last supper this sacrament that we celebrate together around Gods table. Out of love, Jesus invites us to the table. And we return love to Christ and to each other by accepting this invitation. By coming to this table often. By coming to this table together. By sharing in community together not only around this table but around all the tables of the Church the tables around which we pray, plan, learn, study, talk, meet, and make decisions. All of these tables draw on are built and sustained by this table. By what we do here. We do not simply say we are disciples. Or decide to be disciples and proclaim that to the world. No. Jesus is quite clear tonight everyone will know you are my disciples IF you have love for one another. If you show love for one another. And Jesus offers us two important tasks tonight that show our love for each other. One in foot washing. Our willingness both to serve and be served. And in our acts of community in the Eucharist in the coming to the table and choosing to be a part of a Christian community.

Tonight, as we draw closer to the crucifixion. Ask yourself. What love do you have for one another? For Christ? How do you show your love? Does the world know you are a disciple by what you do? By who you serve? By where you go? And what you say? And who serves you? Are you served by this community? Finding fulfillment in Word & Sacrament? Evaluate for yourselves where you are on this journey of discipleship and how much you allow yourself to participate. Do you, like Peter, hide behind walls of pretense? Be they pride or piety? Or something else? Or do you participate readily in the quest for faith and relationship with God by coming to church, by meeting each other around the table, and by serving Christ in all people? If the answer to any of those questions is ambiguous if you feel ambivalent if you arent sure if you said NO no, I dont participate, no I dont serve, no I dont let Christian community serve me Then I encourage youbeg of you Please. Let these next few days be for you a time of prayer when you invite Christ into your life again. And if your answers were more on the yes end then I encourage youbeg of you Please. Allow these next few days to be a time when you recommit yourself to the work of this place and the mission of the Gospel and the work of changing the world into a better place in the name of Love in the name of Jesus Christ.
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You have an opportunity now, even here tonight, to participate in an ancient ritual in which I promise you will come to know Christ more fully. Serve and be served. And come to this table. Not because I bid you. But because Jesus Christ Lord of heaven and earth through whom all things were created Jesus Christ who hung on a cross and Jesus Christ who stoops to wash your feet This Lordhe bids you. He longs to be your friend and servant as well as your Savior and Redeemer. Wont you let him in? Wont you come? Amen.