Maundy Thursday

The Ven. Richard I Cluett
April 5, 2007
Exodus 12:1-14a + 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 + John 13:1-15

Past, present and future all meet in John’s gospel-telling of the Last Supper. By the way, the telling goes on for quite some time, more than 4 chapters. It is one way we know that this event, this last gathering of Jesus with his closest disciples, is of immediate, ultimate and eternal importance.

It is important to remember that after Jesus time in the wilderness and the beginning of his ministry, he was always in community. He was always with… with crowds, with the 3 or 4 closest disciples, with his followers, with his friends such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and with the twelve and some others, and as Canon Kitch has reminded us, many of them women. He was always in community, except when on the mountain to pray. Even Jesus embodies the truth of John Donne’s phrase, “… No man is an island, entire of itself”.

On the night of his betrayal, arrest, passion and death, he had some important last things to show and tell and do for his community, for those he would leave behind. It was a night of liturgy, ritual, teaching, and demonstration – a night of last, important things.

We get different highlights of this gathering in the different gospels, but it is clear that in John’s gospel the single, signal event is Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, his companions, in a humble and humbling act of love.

Perhaps the best way to teach the disciples the meaning of his ministry, the reality of the kingdom, the true nature of discipleship, was to kneel down and wash their feet; performing the duty of a house servant; but performing it as an act of love, as a demonstration of discipleship

Father Martin Smith* has reminded me of the first time I experienced the Maundy Thursday ritual of foot washing and the extreme discomfort I experienced in receiving this act of love and care. It certainly approached the magnitude of Peter’s reaction. Apparently I have some vestigial remains of the Middle Eastern view of feet. They are not fit to be handled by others.

I was looking down at my beloved ancient rector, mentor and friend, emulating the love of Jesus. No, that’s wrong. He was the love of Jesus in that act of foot washing. The feeling finally was that of not being worthy to receive such love – his or God’s.

On the other hand I so well remember and revel in the memory of holding each of our infant children and washing every part of their bodies with a loving touch. It is one of the most profound moments of intimacy and love that I know.

Another, soothing my wife’s fevered body with cool and cleansing water, then gently toweling her dry. Again, is there is a greater word of love spoken than, “Honey, would you rub my feet. They are so tired and sore.”

It is in that spirit that Jesus rises, puts on the towel of a servant and kneels before each of his companions to clean, cool, and soothe their tired feet, even the feet of Judas.

Unconditional love… that’s what it is called. It is Jesus’ love for his companions. It was Mary’s love for Jesus when she bathed his feet. It is God’s love for you and me. And it is the love for one another that Jesus calls his disciples and us to share with one another.

Because of Jesus, we must come to terms with a God for whom it is natural to be humble, compassionate, serving, and at risk out of love for others. And we are called by Jesus to take his nature upon ourselves.

And so as mark of our nature, I invite you to humble yourself to receive an act of love as some one bathes and refreshes your feet and to offer that act of love to another.

We will then go to the table to participate in the supper that unites us with Jesus and with all believers throughout eternity as we share the bread and the cup.

I pray that thereby we will be empowered to bring his love and his servanthood to a suffering world and a divided church and to those who have not experienced his love and to those who know him not.


*The Seasons of the Spirit by Martin L Smith, Church Publishing, 2004