By Our Love

Maundy Thursday April 9, 2020

By Our Love

With us unable to have worship during this Holy Week,

the service I believe I miss most is Maundy Thursday.

For me it is a service that brings out deep emotions:

as you and I gather at the table for communion,

the comfort of sharing what we believe and

the assurance in hearing Jesus’ words, a sign and seal of God’s love,

fills each of us with love,

when the elements are removed and lights dim,

sadness of what is to come with the betrayal can bring tears,

and leaving in silence gives you and I time to discover

what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do as we go into the world.

The scripture from the Gospel of John for Maundy Thursday is

John 13:1-17, 31-35.

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.

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, “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.”

Hospitality of the meal shared,

the love in the service to others through the washing of the disciples’ feet,

and the new commandment given for us all to embrace: love one another!

LOVE!

Love expressed through hospitality and service.

How are you and I expressing this during this time of social distancing?

Calling family and friends to check in on how they are doing.

Doing an errand for a neighbor who cannot go to the store or pharmacy.

Sharing a song on social media to bring a smile to others.

Even amid social distancing, there are many ways to love one another.

As the familiar hymn tells us

“They will know we are Christians by our love,”.

Be known by your love.

Amen.

LOVE painted 1/11/20