Dearest e-votees,
For this week's e-vo we'll be looking at the gospel text appointed for Maundy Thursday.
May your lingering in this holiest of weeks be blessed.
Peace,
Karl
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13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them....
Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:1-17, 31b-35, NRSV
The community of Christians has a guiding principle, an over-arching directive, a default mode, an abiding intention, a standard to which are called to pursue. It is the commandment that Jesus gave in John 13:34: Love one another. Jesus speaks this "mandate" (which is a linguistic descendant of "Maundy" which comes from the Latin for command) to those gathered for the Last Supper--the disciples. So perhaps Jesus was just speaking to these 12. That they should love one another. But surely if one of them should have asked "Lord, who can we exclude as we love one another?" (meaning how far is far enough when it comes to loving others) Jesus would have told them something like "70 times 7!" or the parable of the Good Samaritan. Whenever we try to put constraints on God's love or find a place where we can stop loving others Jesus broadens the scope and the depth.
Each and every disciple would go on to fail Jesus. All slept when he asked them to keep watch with him. All scattered when danger came. Peter spectacularly failed Jesus by promising to never deny him and to go to the death for him yet soon thereafter denied Jesus 3 times. Judas spectacularly failed Jesus by betraying him and setting him up for capture and arrest for 30 silver pieces. Yet all of them received the Passover meal which was transformed and infused with new meaning as it became the Lord's Supper. And all of them had their feet washed (even though Peter resisted just as much as he could). The love that Jesus is showing through the humble act of footwashing transcends the worthiness of the owner of the feet he is cleaning. The act is more about the nature of God's reign of love and service than it is about those being loved and those being served.
I can't help but wonder if Mary of Bethany (Martha and Lazarus' sister) didn't capture Jesus' imagination in the previous chapter of John. Mary came up to Jesus and broke open a container of expensive nard (worth a year's wages) and anointed his feet, wiping his feet with her hair. She poured herself out (literally and figuratively) in service, love and adoration. Now Jesus is doing the same with his disciples. He is ready to be poured out like a drink offering on the cross but first he pours himself out in service. He has received love from Mary and now he is empowered and inspired to give love to those he encounters--even the most unworthy. His prayers for forgiveness for those who crucified him are a continuation of this love pouring out of himself for the sake of others.
We have been loved fully by Jesus. Jesus has given us and the world all he could give. We have deserved so much less than he has lavished upon us. We can now be inspired and empowered to love all those we encounter--particularly those who are unworthy. We can pray for our enemies, welcome those who have spurned us, set a place for those who have wronged us and offer ourselves in service to those who would never think of returning the favor. We do this not because we are so great or so faithful but rather because Jesus who is so great and so faithful tells us to do no less.
God, give us ears to hear and hearts to respond to your greatest commandment--to love others. Amen.
For this week's e-vo we'll be looking at the gospel text appointed for Maundy Thursday.
May your lingering in this holiest of weeks be blessed.
Peace,
Karl
------------
13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them....
Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The community of Christians has a guiding principle, an over-arching directive, a default mode, an abiding intention, a standard to which are called to pursue. It is the commandment that Jesus gave in John 13:34: Love one another. Jesus speaks this "mandate" (which is a linguistic descendant of "Maundy" which comes from the Latin for command) to those gathered for the Last Supper--the disciples. So perhaps Jesus was just speaking to these 12. That they should love one another. But surely if one of them should have asked "Lord, who can we exclude as we love one another?" (meaning how far is far enough when it comes to loving others) Jesus would have told them something like "70 times 7!" or the parable of the Good Samaritan. Whenever we try to put constraints on God's love or find a place where we can stop loving others Jesus broadens the scope and the depth.
Each and every disciple would go on to fail Jesus. All slept when he asked them to keep watch with him. All scattered when danger came. Peter spectacularly failed Jesus by promising to never deny him and to go to the death for him yet soon thereafter denied Jesus 3 times. Judas spectacularly failed Jesus by betraying him and setting him up for capture and arrest for 30 silver pieces. Yet all of them received the Passover meal which was transformed and infused with new meaning as it became the Lord's Supper. And all of them had their feet washed (even though Peter resisted just as much as he could). The love that Jesus is showing through the humble act of footwashing transcends the worthiness of the owner of the feet he is cleaning. The act is more about the nature of God's reign of love and service than it is about those being loved and those being served.
I can't help but wonder if Mary of Bethany (Martha and Lazarus' sister) didn't capture Jesus' imagination in the previous chapter of John. Mary came up to Jesus and broke open a container of expensive nard (worth a year's wages) and anointed his feet, wiping his feet with her hair. She poured herself out (literally and figuratively) in service, love and adoration. Now Jesus is doing the same with his disciples. He is ready to be poured out like a drink offering on the cross but first he pours himself out in service. He has received love from Mary and now he is empowered and inspired to give love to those he encounters--even the most unworthy. His prayers for forgiveness for those who crucified him are a continuation of this love pouring out of himself for the sake of others.
We have been loved fully by Jesus. Jesus has given us and the world all he could give. We have deserved so much less than he has lavished upon us. We can now be inspired and empowered to love all those we encounter--particularly those who are unworthy. We can pray for our enemies, welcome those who have spurned us, set a place for those who have wronged us and offer ourselves in service to those who would never think of returning the favor. We do this not because we are so great or so faithful but rather because Jesus who is so great and so faithful tells us to do no less.
God, give us ears to hear and hearts to respond to your greatest commandment--to love others. Amen.
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