Hear the reading : John 13:1-15 You need Real Player to listen.
Read the text: John 13:1-15
The Rev’d David M. Dubay
Maundy Thursday
St. Philip’s Church, Charleston SC
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Maundy Thursday, 2006
Last year during spring break, I equipped my youth group with shiny new mops, buckets, cleaning fluids of various kinds, rags, rubber gloves and Loud Red t-shirts and we ventured out to clean the restrooms of unsuspecting strangers. All that day we went from business to business, restaurant to restaurant, gas station to gas station, cleaning toilets.
There were 3 remarkable things about that day that I remember clearly.
1. Many of the young people had never cleaned their own bathrooms at home let alone a public one.
2. As you may guess, the folks on the receiving end of this ministry were, to put it mildly, taken aback.
“Do you want us to pay you for doing this?’
No... came the answer.
“What organization are ya’ll with?”
Trinity Church
“Why would you want to do something like that for free? Or at all?”
(here comes #3)
And a feisty blonde girl named Molly perked up and said. You need this, we need this. We do it so you don’t have to, we do it to bless you, we do it because Jesus said to be humble, and to serve others. When we do what he asks, we get blessed to.”
Well I was dumb founded. I turned to the Western Auto store clerk and said…Where’s the bathroom?
We got the craziest looks that day. Some people would not let us into their restrooms because they were unwilling to let people do for them, they would not let us in because the blessing seemed to bring baggage with it…but there were no strings attached. We cleaned, we said thank you, and we left. It was a good day.
What I was trying to get across to the children in my youth group was a physical glimpse into the struggles of tonight’s Gospel reading. Jesus and his disciples lived in a honor based society. There were things that a rabbi, did not do. There were jobs set aside only for the servant of the household.
The washing of feet for example: for a man like Jesus to stoop and clean off the dirt and dung and sand off of the feet of HIS disciples, of HIS pupils, was simply not done.
A leader leads and a follower…well a follower cleans the junk off of people’s feet. It is easy to understand why at this moment, Jesus might receive some resistance from one of his disciples….and of course, and it’s Peter…Petros…the Rock…who seems to be a master at inserting that filthy foot right into his mouth.
Why would you do something like that? Jesus! No no don’t wash my feet?
And Jesus says, “look I know you don’t understand why I want to do this…but you will, it will all be clear…now give me that foot."
No Jesus.... I won’t let you demean yourself…
By this point Jesus has been teaching by example for almost 3 years. You will heal in my name, watch as I lay hands on this blind man. God will provide if you believe…..here, feed these 5000 people. Death is no match for the creator of the universe: Lazarus, come out of the tomb.
He was giving his disciples a lesson in Holiness, not hygiene.
Jesus says to us in this glimpse into his Lordship that we have a burden that only He can remove. That we have a wound that only he can heal. That we are dead and only He can resurrect us. And he does this by behaving in a way that makes guilty people nervous. He humbles himself. The Lord God becomes a servant, a slave…
To be truthful I understand Peter’s reaction…I don't want people washing my feet. I can be driven to great discomfort when someone decides to serve me or even if it’s there job to do so. Sometimes when I’m in a restaurant or at the drive through window..I try to comfort myself by attempting to connect with my server.
"I used to do this,” I say." I'm trying to say, "I'm not your superior." "I feel your pain”. "My inner waiter is right here with you brother." It embarrasses my wife.
Sometimes I refuse be served. I buy presents at Christmas with the express purpose of having them to give to people who give me gifts unexpectedly. I deny them the gift of giving. I cancel out their generosity. I win. But don’t get me wrong. Most times I let people serve me and don’t think a thing about it. It is out of my guilt that I am not a servant that springs my reaction to people who want to do for me…and not because I’m all that altruistic.
And then when I least expect it, Jesus bends down to clean the dirt and dung from my weary feet. He says, "It's important that you receive my gift so that you will be able to serve others in this manner...so that they will come to meet me and let me wash them."As always, Jesus’ message has an earthly and a kingdom meaning wrapped together.
To the earthlings who follow him he says: When we lead, or minister, or teach in Christ, we are do it on our knees with a servant's heart. We teach each other Jesus' lesson that we are to be "servants, one to another". And to those same earthlings who are desirious of eternity He says…you must let me wash you. You must let me take your burden… You must let me open the door to heaven for you; don’t think you can get there on your own.
If we, unlike Peter in this story, are able to accept the gift of salvation in Christ then we allow the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Creator of heaven and earth to humble himself, wipe away the grime, soothe the calluses, and forgive the sin.
All we need to do is say yes Lord. It makes me uncomfortable, it may even turn my stomach but I accept your gift so freely given.
Praise be to thee Lord Christ.
NOTES
[1] Eugene Peterson, The Message Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2003), John 13.
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