Maundy Thursday

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” – John 13

Maundy Thursday is my second favorite worship service of the church year (Christmas Eve being my favorite). Perhaps, like me, you took your first communion on Maundy Thursday. There is just something very special about this night in which Jesus and his disciples shared the last supper.

Maundy, not to be confused with Monday, comes from the Latin word for ‘command,’ as in “I give you a new commandment.” These were Jesus’ words to his disciples on their last evening together.

Several extraordinary things happened that night. Jesus gave us the command to love one another and he demonstrated what love looked like:

Jesus…got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 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.

Jesus wants us to love one another as he loves us. And how does Jesus love us? Sacrificially. Jesus sacrificed his very life for us. But, he also sacrificed his ego. Though he was their teacher and master, Jesus was not above committing the lowly act of washing his disciples’ feet.

If there is a blessing in the Covid-19 outbreak, it is that we get to see this kind of love in action. Every day health care workers are willing to sacrifice their lives to take care of those who are critically ill with the virus. Every day grocery store employees stock shelves and truck drivers make deliveries, risking their health so that we might have access to the food we need. It is inspiring to see the love of Christ in action.

We do not need to meet together to celebrate the message of Maundy Thursday. It is being lived out all around us.

God bless you. Stay well.