I mentioned on Sunday how, historically, the Passion narrative was considered to be so important that it was read four times during Holy Week. It was also the first part of the gospels to be written, beginning with the events that we remember this day. There are more details in the gospels about the last day of Jesus' life on this earth than there are about any other day.

Thus, we are given any number of events and teachings that merit our attention as we gather together for worship today. You'll notice this in the readings this evening, too, as one focuses on the Passover lamb, one on the institution of the Lord's Supper, and one on Jesus washing the disciples' feet.

The Passover reading, by the way, is not there because of the disciples celebrating the Passover, but because of the connections between Jesus and the Passover lamb. In the Old Testament, the people took the blood of the lamb and put it around the doorways of their houses. Because of that blood, the angel of death passed over them and death did not come to their houses that night.

In the New Testament, Jesus is described as our Passover Lamb who has shed his blood so that death will also pass over us. We do not paint our doorways with blood. Instead, we carry the body and blood of Christ within us, no longer needing to fear death, for we have been united with both the death and the resurrection of Jesus through our baptism into Christ.

Thus we are participants in the new covenant, sealed with the blood of Jesus and containing one commandment rather than 613 of them. In fact, it is that new commandment that gives Maundy Thursday its name - Maundy comes from the Latin "mandatum", or commandment - so if you want to impress your friends with Latin, there's your word for the day! Jesus says, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (Jn. 13:34). That is the new commandment - not the love part, because that was always part of the old covenant -- but the loving as Jesus has first loved us. As Paul reminds us later on - love does no wrong to a neighbour, for love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom 13:10).

As we gather together for worship tonight, we do not just talk about love and hear about love. - We act it out. We share the peace of Christ with one another. We have the opportunity to participate in the washing of feet. We receive the love of Jesus in the bread and the wine of Holy Communion. We are reminded of the love that sustained Jesus as he was humiliated and stripped of his dignity - symbolized tonight by the stripping of the altar.

Probably the thing in which people are most hesitant to participate is the washing of feet. We are worried that our feet might smell, or we might be ticklish, or we didn't shave between our toes. Or maybe we don't like other people doing anything for us - or we don't like being in front of people.

I've actually moved the foot-washing stations to where they are less visible this year, for it is not about watching other people get their feet washed. Rather it is about participating, and imagining what it was like for the disciples to have Jesus insisting that he needed to wash their feet. They were asked to allow Jesus to act as a servant for them. In imitation of Jesus, we now act as servants for one another.

Jesus served and he allowed himself to be served. Jesus loved and allowed himself to be loved. Jesus healed, and allowed himself to be the offering that would heal the effects of the sins of the world. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Maundy Thursday John 13:1-17, 31b-35
April 13, 2006 Exodus 12:1-14
St. Luke's Zion 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2006 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved