Loving God, you call us not only to remember your saving acts but to participate in your kingdom. As we worship together this evening, help us not only to remember, but to understand the depth of your love for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In some ways, Maundy Thursday is all about remembering. The Passover, which was described in our first reading from Exodus, was to be “a day of remembrance” for the people (Ex. 12:14). The Lord’s Supper, which was instituted on this night, always contains the words, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24). And, as we gather together this evening, we remember how Jesus stooped to wash the feet of his disciples, giving them the new commandment to love one another just as he had loved them (Jn. 13:34).

Harry Wendt, the author of The Divine Drama, reminds teachers of the following principle: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” All of his courses use this principle, including the course that we’ve been using for confirmation. Tonight’s service, too, addresses “show me, and I will remember” and “involve me, and I will understand.”

Thinking just briefly about the Passover, it is a yearly celebration that helps the Jewish people to remember and to understand. It recalls the time in Egypt when the angel of death “passed over” the homes of the Israelites – the homes that had lamb’s blood painted on the doorposts and on the lintel. It recalls how the Israelites were set free from their slavery in Egypt and how they were led through the Red Sea and through the wilderness and into the promised land.

Yet, the Passover is not an event where people just sit and watch somebody else doing something. All of the people participate in the responses at dinner. All of the people eat the unleavened bread and the roast lamb and the bitter herbs and the greens dipped in salt water. The children have questions that they ask as part of the Passover meal. Remember? – Involve me, and I will understand!

The same could be said about the Lord’s Supper. It is not a celebration where people simply sit and watch. Instead, the whole community participates. That’s why our worship includes responses from all who are gathered. All are invited to respond both in speech and in song. And all are invited to receive the bread and the wine, as if Jesus himself is being given to them with sacrificial love.

We are, indeed, remembering, each time that we gather at the Lord’s Table. We are remembering how Jesus gave himself for us. We are remembering how we have been set free from sin, death and the devil through the precious blood of Jesus. We are remembering Jesus’ last act of love before he was put to death. We are remembering the forgiveness that is ours through Jesus, and the gift of eternal life for all those who put their faith in him. “Show me, and I will remember. Involve me, and I will understand.”

The same principle applies as we wash feet as part of tonight’s service. We could just hear about it tonight and leave it at that, but that would be the “tell me, and I will forget.” We also could have a few symbolic people sitting up front who would get their feet washed with everybody watching. That might be, “show me, and I will remember.” However, instead it is open this evening for anybody who wishes to be involved, either as a washer or as a “washee.”

I have, however, asked the confirmation class to come and get their feet washed this evening. Since the word “disciple” actually means “learner,” they will represent the disciples this evening, and I will represent the teacher. For any of you who have never participated in the foot washing, I certainly encourage you to do so. It is something that everybody should experience at least once in their life, and it helps us to understand what it would be like to have Jesus washing our feet.

There is one final detail that will help us in understanding why Jesus would tell his followers to wash one another’s feet. As some of you probably already know, in Jesus’ time it was the job of a servant to wash everybody’s feet. As you can well imagine, travelling on hot, dusty roads in sandals resulted in many tired, sore and dirty feet. And so, when Jesus and his disciples gathered in the upper room for supper, it would have been customary for a servant to wash everybody’s feet before they sat down to eat.

Obviously, this did not happen, and so Jesus gets up during supper and starts washing the disciples’ feet. The disciples, understandably, are horrified that their Lord and Teacher would stoop to do such a thing. Yet, in doing this simple service for his disciples, Jesus demonstrates in a most memorable fashion how he had come, not to be served, but to serve. He also sets us an example as his followers: to act as servants for one another and to love one another as he has first loved us.

“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” Amen.

Maundy Thursday      John 13:1-17, 31b-35
April 9, 2009      1 Corinthians 11:23-26
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church      Exodus 12:1-14
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2009 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved