Maundy Thursday Homily
March 20, 2008
Setting:
o
Seder-type,
Triclinium, left elbow
Background
o
Atmosphere:
o
Hozannahs in the
air
o
something coming
to a climax
o
Disciples
anticipating up-graded status: Jesus the King
o
From Fishermen to
Royalty
o
Bickering over best
spots
o
As he did so
often, Jesus did something to change the atmosphere
o
From: eager,
power-charged, competitive
o
To: sober,
humble, compassionate
o
Went round
outside of triclinium and washed feet: Two
reactions
o
Shock
§
NO
self-respecting king would tarnish his image. (“Embarrasing, he ought to know
better.)
§
Unspoken message:
“when you lower your esteem, it lowers ours.”
o
Shame:
§
Peter: “If anyone
must wash feet, it should be us washing yours.”
Now imagine this from Jesus’
point of view
o
At major
transition points: look back & focus on most precious
o
Me:
o
graduated
college, seminary, in 30 years served three parishes before CC
o
Time of ending
drew near, increased desire to appreciate those closest to you before you go
o
Isn’t this true
in your life transitions?
o
Desire to bless
increases exponentially when the impending “transition” involves going through
the “curtain” of death.
o
Last several
years of Dad’s life…special efforts to
§
Teach & Say
“I love you” (words and actions)
o
Something of
what’s going on with Jesus
§
Teach & Love
·
Teach: right to
the very end what he and his Gospel is all about
·
Love: give them
an outward and visible sign of just how precious they and the friendship was to
him
We are here tonight for the
same two reasons:
o
He: teach and
love
o
We: learn and
experience being loved
What is it Jesus wants us to
learn?
What’s really going on in the
washing of feet?
o
Act of humility:
yes ; act of devotion towards friends, yes
o
Core = words of
interpretation given to Peter
o “Unless I wash you, you have no part
in me.
§
Part/share/heritage
Follow particular train of
thought: (will emphasize word
“heritage”)
“Unless I wash you, you have no part in me.
o
Heritage:
o
applies to family
member.
o
Jesus = us to
be a member…a part of the family
“Unless I wash you, you have no heritage/
part in me…unable to be a member/part of the family.
Why so? (Follow this)
o
God is holy. God
is holy. God is holy.
o
Holy, Holy, Holy
is Father, Son, & Holy Spirit
That’s
the family about which Jesus speaks re: ““Unless
I wash you, you have no heritage/part.
o
Holiness is
pureness – it is pure
o
Pure = to be one
thing and one thing only.
§
Pure gold =
nothing but gold
§
Pure white
garment =
·
Not even smallest
ballpoint dot
·
Every fiber of
every thread...not even shadow
§
Pure golf shot =
moment of impact 100% best use of clubface and effect on ball
o
God is holy,
holy, holy – pure
o
But purity
requires an object: gold, piece of cloth, & (best) relationship of one
object to another (clubface and ball)
o
So, the issue here = pure relationship
o
Commandments are…
pure = they are about one thing and one thing only….love
o
what it is and
isn’t
o
I AM…..LOVE, I am
pure ….love, I am….holy love
o
= to be
incorporated into
§
the heritage of
relationship with this God….
§
the presence of
the Being who’s holiness is all powerful
o
= there is no
thread of our lives…no fiber of our being that can be off-color and survive in
the presence of such holiness.
§
Our God is indeed
a consuming fire
§
The holiness of
his love will consume everything that is not love.
·
It must
·
For love’s sake,
love must consume everything that is not loving.
Now the only question left
for us to ask tonight is what washes the
dirt off of love?
o
If love of God
must be pure in order to be attached…how can we be eternally connected and not
eternally consumed?
What washes dirt from love? Answer = forgiveness
Unless I wash you with my forgiveness
you cannot survive being a part of pure love, holy love.
Bowl on Font
1.
Remind – Ash Wed.
– we are a dirty bunch, marked for death
a.
Font = a place
where he washes us
b.
Love – washes and makes us completely lovable
i.
Maundy + Baptism
= water = outward and visible sign
ii.
Sign of something
more than water…something that cannot come from Thursday…but only from
Friday…it’s the reason we call this Friday “Good”
2.
Our mission with each other:
“Do you know what I have done to you? You
call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I
have done to you.”
To
wash one another’s feet: humility, devotion, forgiveness.
a.
Tonight: meditate
on
i.
who do I need to
give forgiveness to
ii.
who do I need to
receive forgiveness from
Finally: you will see this
bowl again tomorrow on Good Friday.
It
will be on the Altar
…. to remind us that our souls must be washed – washed with more than water – washed with blood – the blood of forgiveness – His blood – His forgiveness.