Sermon by Michelle - March 24 - Maundy Thursday

Which are you?

Tonight we read the second of two reports by John of foot washing. The first occurred six days before, in Bethany, at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. We read that in church about two weeks ago – when Mary broke open a jar of expensive perfume and bathed Jesus’s feet with them, provoking scandal and outrage. That much is the same in the two accounts – washing another person’s feet seems to provoke scandal and outrage each time John describes it. Beyond that, however, the two incidents have some significant differences.

In the first foot washing, Mary serves Jesus, out of love and gratitude for what Jesus has done for her. She gives – of her wealth, of her time and dignity and literally herself, wiping his feet with her hair. It is a powerful surrender of any type of status, admittedly by a woman who might not have had much to begin with. And Jesus? While everyone is outraged at this affrontery, Jesus sits back and accepts this devotion, allowing Mary to interrupt the meal with her most personal and intimate caresses.

Tonight’s foot washing is different. Sure, it still occurs at a dinner table. But now, it is Jesus who is doing the washing, not a lowly woman. Jesus, the teacher, the one who should be worshiped. Washing the feet of his disciples, who have literally dropped everything to follow him. They have staked their lives on their hopes that he would be a great leader. They have tried to be worthy of him, learn from him, in the hopes that he would make them his second-in-command, or appoint them governors in his kingdom. They are scandalized when he lowers himself to their level, stoops to ask how they hurt. And Jesus? Jesus kneels down, towel in hand, and massages their hard-working, tired feet personally, with love.

Two scenes of footwashing. Two scenes of discipleship. One, a sign of self-denial and humility, of love. The other, a sign of respect and admiration. Two ways of viewing what it means to follow Jesus.

Which are you?

In my experience, I have often found that there are two ways people approach Christian worship and religion, generally. There are those who follow the commandment “love one another, as I have loved you.” Who go to feed the homeless, or visit the sick in the hospital. The ones who are up until two in the morning cooking casseroles or baking cookies for the neighbor who just returned from the hospital, or the ones who give their year-end bonuses to some worthy charity. In Connecticut and Florida, where there are churches without walls to minister to the homeless, these are the people who offer to wash the feet of those who have no beds, no protectors, and no shoes.

But, these are also the people who sometimes would have difficulty having others show such love to them. Who feel they don't deserve love.

Then there is the other response. Those who revere the life and sacrifice of Jesus. Who strive to live according to his teaching. Who remember God’s grace and love, and the life Jesus gave up to suffer on the cross. Who make sacrifices to try to never disappoint God.

But, these are also the people who sometimes would have difficulty admitting that the road has been rough, and that they have gotten bruised along the way. Who feel that they cannot tell Jesus they hurt.

So, which are you?

The odd thing is, that both stories show what it means to love God. And both stories show what it means to love a neighbor. Both stories reveal an element of discipleship.

Worshiping God means loving all that God created – even those who are poor, who are lame, who are sick or hurt or scary or just not like us at all. Worshiping God means being ready to serve others who need help. But worshiping God also means being ready to be transformed by God, to show God where we hurt. Worshiping God means recognizing that we can’t do it all ourselves, and that we need God’s help.

Life is rarely an either-or question. Quite often, life is a both-and. So it is with our ceremony of foot washing this evening. I myself can remember that there were times when I approached Maundy Thursday completely ready to serve others, to shine forth God’s love and wash the feet of my neighbors – but I was not ready to have God touch me, ask me where I hurt, or try to make me feel better. And, there were times when I believed with all my heart that what I needed was God’s attention, my own personal little miracle – but when I really wasn’t ready to see God in others. But, our service does not allow us to pick sides. If you come up to wash, you must also be willing to be washed, and vice versa. Just as Jesus is.

I knew a priest in seminary who always gave communion to her server – and then received communion from her server – before distributing to the rest of the congregation. One day I asked her about it. She said it was a theological point for her – that she could not feed others unless she had first been fed by God. In the same way, we are better able to show God’s love in the world, when we have been willing to share in God’s love. Jesus showed us the way – first allowing Mary to serve him, before he went on to serve the other disciples.

So, about those disciples… Which are you?

It’s easy to pick one of the favorites: John, the beloved, perhaps; or Andrew. We don’t want to pick the obvious, Peter. How many of us would even consider Mary, the foot washer? We want to be disciples of action. But, certainly not Judas. So, which are you?

Maundy Thursday reminds us that we don't need to choose. Even more: Maundy Thursday reminds us that it is folly to choose. That we all need gratitude. We all need learning. And we all need. grace. That though it is easy to condemn Mary for her extravagance, there are times when that is needed. And though we never like to talk about Judas the traitor, the fact is that Jesus washed his feet, too. Even as Jesus knew what he was going to do. And Judas accepted his love. As did the other disciples. Including Peter, who thought himself too good to be served by Jesus. And yet, as Jesus knew, Peter would betray him three times in the next day.

Every week, we come to this altar to be fed by Jesus. Nourished, body and especially soul. But this night we do a little more. This night, we come to be loved by Jesus. To give over to Jesus our wounds, our blisters. The places where the world has rubbed us the wrong way, and the places that are sensitive to the touch. We come to let Jesus clean and heal us, by symbolically allowing our worshiping community of disciples to wash our feet. And then, we turn around, and show that same love to others, serving them, as Jesus serves us.

Amen.