Do You Know What this Means?

Do You Know What this Means?

Maundy Thursday

Collect of the Day Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body and Blood; Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal; the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Gospel: St. John 13:1-15 (KJV)

1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;

3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

An Anglican boy and a Baptist boy were best friends, so they decided to visit each other’s churches. They went to the Anglican church first, and the Baptist boy constantly whispered to the Anglican boy, “What does that mean?” When they went to Baptist church, the Anglican boy didn’t have many questions, but, when before the sermon began, the Baptist preacher took off his watch and placed it on the pulpit, the Anglican boy, who had never seen such in his church, leaned over and asked the Baptist boy, “What does that mean?” “Not a thing,” replied the Baptist boy.

When on Thursday evening, Jesus washed his disciples’  feet, Jesus asked them, “Do you know what I have done to you?” This question is vital for us too, if we are to understand the nature of Christ’s mission and the nature of our discipleship.

1. What Happened

On the night before his death Jesus and his disciples gathered in the Upper Room to celebrate Passover, which he transformed into the Lord’s Supper. Jesus knew that the climatic hour of his ministry had arrived. He had laid aside his glory and come from the Father, and now it was time for him to return to the Father and take up his glory - but first there was the cross and death.

When they had finished the meal, Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist, took a basin of water, washed each of the disciples feet, and dried their feet with a towel. Then he put his clothes back on and went back to the table.

In the world of Jesus and the disciples it was customary for people to take a bath before going to a meal like Passover. However, as they traveled in sandals through the streets, their feet would get dirty. So the host would provide a basin of water and towel for washing feet. If there were servants present, it was the job of the lowliest servant to wash the feet and then unobtrusively retire. If there were no servant, then each guest would wash his own feet.

We know that there was no servant and that no disciple had offered to wash anyone else’s feet, not even Jesus’s feet. For some reason no one had washed his own feet. But, when they had taken food and drink, Jesus got up and did the job, and then rejoined them at the table.

2. What did it mean?

What did the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus mean?

a. What it meant for Jesus.

Jesus was saying, “The Father sent me to be a servant to accomplish your salvation.” Jesus took the role of the servant when he wrapped himself in the towel and washed the disciples’ feet. This was not the job of a host, much less of a teacher and master.

This is why Peter objected. It did not fit with his understanding of Jesus or his understanding of his relationship to Jesus. When Jesus got to Peter, Peter asked, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter put his foot down but not in the basin: “Lord you will never wash my feet.” Peter thought it inappropriate.

Jesus replied, “If I do not wash your feel, you no part with me.” “Peter, do you want to be in fellowship with me? Do you want to share in my future? Then I must wash your feet - otherwise you do not share in my life.” When Peter heard that, he dropped his objection, but showed he still didn’t understand: “Lord, then, if I need to have you wash my feet to share in your life, then give me a bath! Don’t just wash my feet. Wash my hands and head, too!” Jesus said, “No, you don’t need that. You already had a bath. What you need is your feet washed, because that is the job of a servant. I can fulfill the mission for which the Father sent me into the world and accomplish your salvation only by being the one one who serves, the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give my life a ransom of many.”

St. Paul taught about the servanthood of Christ that “though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” Philippians 2:6-8, ESV). Our salvation could not be accomplished and our sharing in Christ’s present glory could not be obtained except by Christ’s becoming a servant and going all the way to death, even the cruel and humiliating death on the cross.

b. What it means for us.

When Jesus had washed everyone’s feet, and went back the the table, he resumed his place as their Lord and asked, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me your Master and Teacher, and you are right to do so, because that is what I am. If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, then you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done for you.”

Jesus was saying: “If you are in saving fellowship with me, then you must accept me as your

Servant who accomplishes your salvation. But, if you are in saving fellowship with me, then you also must accept the role of being each other’s servants. My call to you is not to stand on your pride and expect others to serve you, but to take the initiative and assume the role of the servant, without expecting anyone to serve you. The servant does not serve in order to be served. His service is not based on reciprocation. He is a servant, and so he serves.

When do we wash another Christ’s feet? When our servanthood and another’s need coincide - when he is too sick and weak to bathe himself and needs a bath. But servanthood is not confined to literal footwashing. It is our being willing to do the lowliest task imaginable if it serves Christ and serves his people. It’s not just that we sometimes serve but that we are servants. That is our identity, our calling, our fellowship with Christ.

How low can you go? How low will you go? There is no place too low for the servant of Christ and his people.