Living in the Moment of the Final Hours - Maundy Thursday
I speak to you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - Amen
If you knew you were about to die - How would you spend the last few hours of Freedom?
Many movies have run with this question
From recent movies like “Deep Impact” - where a comet is on a crash course with the Earth
And “Armageddon - with nearly the same plot
To the “day after tomorrow”
Movies like “who’s life is it anyways”
Or Cold war movies like “the day the earth stood still”
To humorous responses like “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”
This theme of knowing that your life or the whole planet is coming to an end is an endless resource from which movies will continue to shape a plot around
“End of life” moments captured on film or in stories have built in situation that is ripe for emotions
It has the potential for stirring dramatic moments with grand romantic gestures
Or providing heightened tension which humor can shine even brighter
Tonight - Maundy Thursday - we journey through the last few hours of Jesus’ freedom
We look into how God who came into this world to live as one of us decided to live out these few hours
The story is a familiar one to many and in fact we know all the scenes in story
But for tonight try to suspend your knowledge of what comes next
Try to live in the moment that we are remembering
Picture yourself as a close friend of Jesus, as one of his disciples
You have followed this incredible rabbi, teacher for three years
You have been there for the miracles
You have seen people - thought to be dead - come back to life
You have seen water turned into wine
Seen how a few scraps of food could feed a huge crowd
Watched as He stilled the storm and walked on water
You have seen the crowds that gather wherever he goes
You feel honoured that he chosen you as one of His closest disciples, taking you along where-ever he is going
You feel like a little of His shine has rubbed off on you, you are seen as one of the great teachers disciples
He has taught you all the way
Showing you his authority
You marveling at his depth of knowledge of scriptures - but also of his continually new way of explaining them
You have been afraid at what he has said to those in authority
Wanted him to tone it down
To be less confrontational
You were there when Peter declared Him to be the Messiah and you knew in that moment that He was and you were part of it
Then only a few days ago - there was his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where all those that have followed him, all those that had arrived early, in preparation for the Passover feast, where they are to see Him in the light that you have seen him
At that moment the prophets words came rushing back to you and - you know
You know that this is most incredible moment - this is history - this is what your people have been waiting for so long
And now it is the Passover,
your group has arranged to have the Passover feast in an upper room
the room is large enough for all of His closest friends to be there
amazing how He is able to arrange such a room during Passover - but that is a small thought now, when you consider all that He has done over the three years
It is a joyful occasion, with much to eat and the good company of these close friends that you have been with over the last few years
Then in the midst of this celebration, in remember how God has provided for your people
In midst of all this - Jesus gets up - removes his outer clothing - puts a towel around his waist
- fills a bowl full of water and knells down in front of all of you to wash your feet
- wash your feet? The teacher is going to wash your feet?
It is so inexplicable - so beyond understanding
I mean this is a job that is below Jewish slaves, this is a job that you would only get the Gentile slaves to do
Our feet are the dirtiest part of us - all day walking in the dusty dirty roads, protected only with a mere thin piece of leather
And the teacher, rabbi is doing this for us
And strangely you all feel compelled to let him do it
One by one you all get your feet washed
Until it is Peter’s turn - then He speaks the words that we are all thinking
He asks the master why would He wash our feet - we should be washing His?
Jesus responds in that quite disarming way he has, and simply says
“you don’t know what I am doing, but later will understand”
Well, Peter still doesn’t feel right about this and he tells Jesus that he won’t do it
Again Jesus calmly tells him
“unless I wash you, you have no share with me”
and of course Peter wants it all
and typical Peter ask the Lord to wash all of him
No - just the feet - that is all that is needed - that is all that is dirty
And we all file in - one at a time until He has washed all of our feet
There is a quite amazement about the place
We don’t understand what has just happen or why
But we do know this - with the teacher there is a purpose for everything He does
So we wait…
After he had washed all of our feet he puts back on his robe and returns to the table and says to us
“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.”
….
This is the moment in time that we will be sharing with each other tonight
In those days, feet where the dirtiest part, today we know that more disease is passed by our hands - so it will be a hand washing tonight - Enter into this moment
Put away your worries of the world - outside these walls
Let your imagination free to live this moment as the disciples did
Allow yourself to be served
Allow yourself to be served in the knowledge that it is our Lord
The messiah that does the serving
Accept the blessing offered to you…
And understand the blessing that you are to do for others
Understand that Jesus the Christ by calling you
- by putting that yearning on your heart
- is calling you to be a servant…
and consider that this is the final moments in His life
consider his parting instruction
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.”
And go into this world in the knowledge, and certain faith
And let the world know Jesus Christ as he wanted to be known
By the Love that you share with one another - in His world
Amen