Muddy, Mundane, Maudlin, Maundy. . .What?

Even though it’s been a short week, it’s been a long week. Do you ever have weeks like those? With that in mind, it felt good this afternoon to drop into the recliner, throw the blanket over my legs, and soak up the peace and quiet. . .and then, my son walked into the room. “We’re going to church, right? It starts at 6.”

“What?” I asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You told me to take off from work tonight so that we could go to church,” was his pointed reply.

“We have church tonight?” I asked.

Nick rolled his eyes. “Knock it off. You’re the one who told me we were going.” With that, he walked away and left me completely confused.

While I will admit that I “forget” things (translation: temporary amnesia), I am 100% certain that I never said any such thing to my son. First, I didn’t even know that there was a church service tonight, and secondly, I never tell him what to do anymore; he is 20 years old.

Even so, since it is Maundy Thursday, I conceded that there probably was a service, even if I wasn’t aware of that fact at the moment. And in considering the fact that Nick mentioned it and seemed pretty adamant about the whole thing, I also conceded that I was going to church at 6.

To be fair, Maundy Thursday, as well as the Thanksgiving Eve service, is among my favorites. Any service that is person, introspective, and reflective is significant to me, but to be honest, I am not even sure what Maundy means, so, of course,  I looked it up.

“The ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus’ washing of His disciples’ feet,” is the definition that the dictionary provided.

While washing feet isn’t even on the household to-do list anymore, it was a common practice in Jesus’s time. Back in the day (way back), there were no tar roads, and foot covering was fairly minimal – sandals or bare feet – so when a guest arrived, one of the first tasks to complete was washing their feet.  Obviously, cleanliness was a priority. The water washed away the road dirt. However, washing the feet was also a courtesy. The water and subsequent rubdown was soothing and refreshing for hot, tired, post-traveling feet. In addition, foot-washing was done by servants and slaves and was considered to be a “short-straw-draw.” In other words, it was a task that no one wanted to do; it was a task reserved for the servant of the lowest status.

During His last night on earth following the last meal with His disciples, Jesus decided to wash the disciples’ feet.  The account is described in John 13.

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love” (1).

The Passover Feast was a reminder of when the blood of the lamb was applied to the doorways so that the Angel of Death would pass over that house, thereby sparing the firstborn son. Jesus was the lamb of sacrifice for the worlds’ sins. His blood would soon be shed to spare eternal punishment for mankind. Likewise, he was the firstborn son; his life would not be spared. He would need to die so that mankind could live. All of these things had to have been weighing heavily on His mind, especially as He regarded those with whom He was sharing a meal.

They were His best friends on earth – his confidants, his helpers – but their behavior was discouraging. While they were enthusiastic and loyal, they didn’t quite seem to “get it.” He had tried to get His message across in the most simplistic terms possible – through stories/parables – but it was frustrating because they were somewhat thick-headed. Likewise, as of late, they had developed a new, frustrating habit; they were increasingly full of themselves. Even at the evening’s supper, they had been arguing about who should get to sit by Jesus. Plus, He was 100% cognizant of the fact that one of them, Judas, was going to “throw Him under the bus” later in the evening. I can see why Jesus might have been a little edgy. While He probably was comforted to spend His last evening with them, it would seem as though their behavior did little to assuage His apprehension.

“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (4-5).

Why did He take off his outer clothing? The fact that he had opted to wash their feet illustrates the fact that he had willfully chosen to become like a servant/slave. By stripping off his outer clothing, He also stripped Himself of anything that defined Him or suggested His identity. Stripping Himself of those identifiers and labels meant that He had stripped Himself of His status; He was naked, exposed, plain, and ordinary.

In my opinion, the towel around his waist seems to be symbolic of the shroud linens he would be wrapped in after His death. These linens would contain the body that had been sacrificed to wash and wipe away the sins of mankind.

Simon Peter, who would later betray Christ, seemed particularly upset about what Jesus was doing.  “No, you shall never wash my feet” (8).

Jesus sets him straight by saying, “Unless I was you, you have no part with me”(8).

In an effort to “prove” his love and loyalty, Peter responds by saying, “Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and head as well!” (9).

Whether intentional or not, Peter’s response grates on my nerves. It’s as though he is trying to overzealously prove to both Christ and the rest of the disciples that he is the “better” disciple – more loyal, more pious, more of a servant than everybody else – but the exact opposite rings through his words. Peter’s response is a perfect juxtaposition to Christ’s foot-washing. They are exact opposites, and his response underscores why Christ wanted to teach this last lesson before heading out to the garden.

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (14-17).

The lesson of Maundy Thursday is humility. Since Christ was about to leave and return to His father, He needed the disciples to know that in order for them to continue where He left off, they needed to have the hearts of servants.

Pride is rooted in selfishness, and selfishness says, “me first.” Humility says, “you first.” God’s Voice, purposes, and Will cannot be advanced when a “me-first” mentality is calling the shots.

Even though foot-washing is a thing of the past, the attitude is not. My (our) challenge is to strip away the outer shell – the labels and identifiers- that I have allowed to insulate me and make me of this world.  Once they are gone, so are pride, distractions, and excuses. A servant’s heart of humility is the only choice because I am not my own; I am His.

Maundy Thursday is a reminder that we still need, have always needed, and will always need the hearts of servants.