Maundy Thursday

Thursday

Many of us have heard this day in Holy Week referred to as “Maundy Thursday”. I wasn’t sure what maundy meant so I looked it up. Here is what I found:

noun. the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday. Also called maundy money. money distributed as alms in conjunction with the ceremony of maundy or on Maundy Thursday.

I found it interesting the first statements noted above refer to the washing of feet, commemorating Jesus’ washing the disciple’s feet. This is the area I want to focus on for this devotion.

We read in John 13:1-5, “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (NIV)

This is the opening of what is often referred to as the “Upper Room Discourse” found in detail in chapters 13-17 in John’s gospel. These chapters are very rich, very comforting and very accessible. Jesus’ final night before his death was an important evening for his disciples, and for us. Much can be learned with a careful reading of these marvelous chapters. But, as with Tuesday’s passages, there is too much to cover in this brief writing.

I would suggest an hour minimum, to slowly read these chapters, letting the rich imagery Jesus used, call you to a deeper intimacy with him. Perhaps, if you are inclined, use your imagination to place yourself there that night and try to listen to Jesus’ voice teaching the depth of what we have in him. Let something “shimmer” for you and let it soak in.

Let me move on, though.

Good teachers or public speakers know they need to start strong to capture the attention of their audience. Jesus takes an interesting turn that night.

As noted in the cite above, Jesus was well aware of the timing of this night. He was closing out his earthly ministry. He fully knew what the next day was bringing. Jesus knew his position the father had given him; all things were under his power. He knew he came from the Father and was retuning to the Father. In simple terms, he knew his position and could start this last evening with his guys in any way he wished. Anyone who wielded even a tenth of this kind of power would use it to their advantage.

What does he do? He strips off his outer clothing, essentially Jesus has stripped down to his biblical BVDs to begin this last evening with his guys.

He then takes a good-sized towel and wraps it around his waist. Perhaps at least one of those gathered is thinking, “Good thing he got that towel, he’s really stripped down here. What is going on?” But Jesus is not done yet.

He takes a basin and pitcher of water and begins to wash the feet of those gathered. He then dries their feet with the towel, his temporary clothing.

Imagine the time it takes to wash 12 pairs of dirty feet. Imagine receiving the loving embrace of Jesus’ hands unexpectedly but intimately on your feet. What goes through your mind?

It is my understanding that culturally, in that time period, having one’s feet washed upon entering a home was common. What was not common was to have someone in authority do the washing. This was servant’s work.

We no longer have this custom. We’ve relegated it to certain “religious” services. If I knew ahead of time, I was going to attend a service that involved foot washing, you can count on it, my feet are going to get a good scrubbing, and my nails trimmed!

I often employ foot washing unexpectedly from time to time in small events I lead. The atmosphere of the room completely changes as people wash one another’s feet who have never met before. Barriers fall and a sense of community emerges.

While culturally these men gathered probably were accustomed to having their feet washed, but not by Jesus. They were far along in their belief in him as a rabbi, teacher, perhaps Messiah. While they do not grasp the scope of who Jesus is yet, (that is to come in just a few days) they certainly hold him in high enough esteem to be shocked and humbled by this act of foot washing.

I suspect, after receiving their washing at Jesus’ hands, they were open to what he was about to tell them.

My question for myself tonight as I write and think about that evening, “How open am I to what Jesus wants to tell me?”

Maybe a more basic question would be, “Am I open to having Jesus wash my feet?” "Am I open to that degree of intimacy?"

We are entering into our own time where we normally would gather. This will be a different weekend for us, won’t it? If I were gathered tonight with close friends, I think I would want to ask that question, “Am I open to having Jesus wash my feet?”, then begin to wash my friend’s feet. Certainly, I am not Jesus, but we can be his hands and feet.