Maundy Thursday

Exodus 12:1-4, 5-10, 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31-35

“No,” says Peter.

When Jesus comes to Peter to wash his feet, Peter adamantly refuses.

At this point, you’d expect that Peter would have been convinced that Jesus had his reasons. By the time we come to today’s event — the Last Supper — Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead, has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy, and has told his disciples that now the time had come for the Son of Man to enter into glory.

And now, gathered with his disciples, Jesus begins a ritual: he gets up from the table, takes a towel and a basin of water and begins to wash the disciples’ feet.

Jesus has already washed some of the disciples’ feet when he comes to Peter. And yet, Peter refuses.

Our translation doesn’t fully capture it. NLT is better:

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” (John 13.8 NLT-SE)

What’s up with Peter? We can guess…

• Maybe it’s the feet, and the honor of it
• Maybe it’s the role reversal…
• Maybe Peter resists because he does know what happens next

Whatever his reason, Peter’s refusal means he is not fully participating in what Jesus is doing. Even if his intentions are mostly noble, by opting out of the footwashing, Jesus tells him he’s opting out of fellowship with Christ.

“Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13.8 NRSV)

“If you want to be my disciple,” Jesus seems to say, “this kind of thing is what you’re signing up for.”

So, what kind of thing is it?

Jesus says it all comes down to love. Genuine love. Love that sometimes has you washing your neighbor’s feet, and sometimes finds you allowing your neighbor to wash yours. The picture of love and fellowship that Jesus puts forth suggests that no one is above simple service to others, and no one is above being served.

Jesus knows his disciples are not perfect. He knows they aren’t experts. He knows they’ll make mistakes. In fact, Jesus knows he’s sitting down to supper with a disciple that will hand him over to be killed.

The practice that Jesus gives his disciples is not to overcome all problems with a 4 point plan for success. He doesn’t give them a perfect strategy to defeat the enemy. He doesn’t even have them detain or distract Judas who’s about to make a really big mistake.

Instead, Jesus gives them a model of servanthood that forces them to draw close to one another. To forgive one another. To outdo one another in service on the ground rather than over and above.

It’s a different model than most of the world uses. You can understand why Peter objects.

Not just singling Peter out…he stands in for all of us with reservations, with baggage, doubt, stubbornness…

What holds you back?

What holds you back from your neighbors? From loving and from knowing that you are loved? From serving others, and from being forgiven?

What’s the thing that prevents you from going all in? From participating in Christ with your whole self?

Whatever it is, I want you to tie that thing into your piece of rope.

Bring it with you to Communion.

All are welcome at the Lord’s Table, doubts and all. Even Judas ate with Jesus. Bring your knot and lay it down.

Tonight, this altar will be stripped away. This tradition started simply to get all the linens cleaned before Easter, but it has taken on new meanings. It’s symbolic of what happens to Jesus. It’s an emotional reminder of Christ’s humiliation in giving it all. When the altar is stripped tonight, the knots that we have carried with us symbolizing our hang ups will also be stripped away.

When we return tomorrow, there will just be the Cross. The ultimate symbol of love. God’s love for each and every one of us around the table. Knots and all.