Maundy Thursday sermon by Mike Stutso, Deason In Training, 4/14/2022, based on John 13: 1-17, 31b-35
Lessons: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
“You will never wash my feet”
Yes, it’s that time of year again to hear about our Master’s march toward the cross and final stages of teaching his disciples, that they are to love one another. Something that struck me funny was that something as important as this reading is and how it has helped to establish Holy Week and define Christianity is only found in John’s Gospel. I thought to myself, really? And obviously I can’t tell y’all why.
This Gospel is one of Jesus’ last opportunity to teach those who he will entrust to form Christianity and the church for the world. Yes, I understand that the Jewish people already had the Torah, Pharisees, scribes, Synagogues and the Temple but as we read all the Gospels we come to realize that Jesus is clarifying Torah. Even to the point of expanding the meanings and rules found within Torah. He expects us to live by Torah as he did, that is to show true love, compassion, humility and equality for all people, no exceptions. Jesus’ world was totally inclusive to all people, Jew and Gentile.
Y’all know just as well as I do that can be a big issue in everyone’s life to live into that commitment. I’ve always said Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor as yourself is difficult at best and will be something I will probably have to work on till the day I meet the Maker. But as I’ve said I’m still a work in progress and I’m heading in the right direction.
As we start the Gospel, Passover is starting and Jesus knows his hour had come to depart this world as a human to join the Father. Now, remember up until this time, Jesus has always said my time has not yet come. But now it is a totally different situation. I always ask myself during this time of year how did Jesus feel knowing his fate, because even though he was divine at this point he is still human with human feelings to include questioning, anger, fear and concerns, he was one of us, so how would you feel?
Then it says he loved us to the end, even on the cross he showed that love, when he said in Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise”. I love that passage because it gives somebody like me hope that one day, I too will see my master and that is a glorious feeling.
Then it is time once again to pick on poor Judas. Two weeks ago, it was oil, and today it’s water. Now the Bible uses the word betrayal and in the purest form of the word he did. I choose to see this betrayal as fulfillment of his destiny, that God had predetermined the outcome of his life. Even Jesus was hurt by this but still loves Judas; he knew that Judas had to fulfill this act. Also, in this Gospel I understand the phrasing “to the end” that was just his human love for us; I choose to say his love is indefinite not ending by death but y’all know that.
Now we talk about the part, that in some cases, makes some folks uncomfortable and stand back as Peter did and say to ourselves: oh no, you are not going to wash my feet, my shoes are just fine where they are. A little history here, in Jesus’ day, a good host would offer a guest a basin of water to wash their own feet because remember the Jewish right of purification of washing hands and so forth. Or a good host would get one their slaves to wash their guests feet but a free person would never kneel down and perform that act. When Jesus did this he was showing unwavering love and compassion not an act of Jewish purification.
This was an act of love for the building of the Church and community, Jesus is desperate because he knew the time was near and the Father had given all things into his hands. He knew he was in control of his destiny not the Romans or Pharisees a fate he understood and accepted. Jesus knew as we should, that the cross is not a sign of defeat but of victory. Because it is on the cross and afterwards the world will come to know that he has accomplished the work for which he was sent to us. It’s on the cross that his Divinity will be revealed to the world.
Then poor Peter speaks up as the disciples do not fully understand what is really happening. He did as many of us would do today by saying “you will never wash my feet”, that was his teacher the Messiah and this act is completely beneath him. It should be a disciple washing his feet and I understand that feeling. But Peter and the disciples will understand one day what and why Jesus did what he did, unfortunately it doesn’t happen until after the resurrection.
Then Jesus sort of lights Peter up by saying: “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me”, In other words, no part or portion of a larger amount in Heaven. Fortunately for us, we’ve had 2,000 years to understand where the disciples only had a few years and nothing in history had ever happened like this.
Susan Hylen wrote “Sharing in Jesus involves being served by him, even in so lowly and intimate a form as foot washing”. Again, we know that this is far deeper than just feet washing. This is not only a gift from Jesus but an example of humble service that he is giving to them to build the church and community after he is gone. This is the truest form of unconditional love that we are to show to all of God’s people.
Then it’s time for Judas to be spoken of again as the betrayer and clean. So now we see clean in two ways as in the physical and spiritual meanings in vs. 11. Then in vs.13 “you call me teacher and Lord and you are right for that is what I am”, well the cat is totally out of the bag now. What he is telling them is that all people are equal so don’t judge or put titles on them.
Jesus tries to clarify all of this in vs. 16 when he uses my favorite saying, “Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them”. Let me ask you, do you think Jesus is speaking of himself? Then “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them”. This is the first step to discipleship.
Then it is time to jump to 13:31-35, probably because it’s focus on Judas and let’s face it, this is not about Judas but Jesus’ last attempt to teach the disciples. So, the first thing is Judas leaves and we all should have a good idea where he is heading, can you say Pharisee? Most of this section speaks of Glorification of Jesus.
A commentary I read describes ‘glorified’ as “Glory is characteristic of God and refers to God’s awe inspiring majesty. God shared this glory with Jesus. In this Gospel, Jesus’ glorification is associated with his death, resurrection, and ascension. Just as God’s glory was revealed at Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17), so also it will be revealed at the cross and open tomb”.
Jesus totally opens up to his fate to fulfill scripture in vs. 33: “I am only with you a little longer” and again “Where I am going you cannot come” then in vs. 34 with his commandment to love one another “Just as I have loved you”. Notice the past tense “Loved”. Then in vs.35 Jesus says: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciple, if you have love for one another”.
A final thought, will people know that you are one of Jesus’ disciples?
AMEN