Whose Will You Wash?

Maundy Thursday—Year B

Jesus knew that his hour had come—Jesus knew that the end was near—it’s the night before he is to die and what does he do? What would you do if you knew you had less than 24 hours left with those you love—would you be frantic? What last minute words would you say? What would you want to make certain those you loved; those you were responsible for—heard?
Tonight’s Gospel is Jesus’ last words of instruction—his last command. That is what Maundy means “command”, and this Gospel is directed to a specific community—the community of his disciples and to us the Christian community—this is our night if you will. Jesus is speaking about; is commanding us; about how we should live—about how we should treat each other.
I imagine Jesus felt an urgency—the disciples have a history of not quite getting it—a fact Peter quickly proves. So Jesus begins with an action—a tangible expression—foot washing. Go with me for a moment back to the 1st century and imagine the landscape. The dirt roads covered with filth, people just dumped their trash and other things right in the roads; they were muddy, dusty, and dirty, disgusting. If you had shoes they were more like flip flops or even less, so feet were, well they were just nasty. Washing feet in these days was done for two reasons. The first was a purification ritual before one entered the temple and the second was the practical; they needed to be cleaned. This duty in a home this practical duty, was usually performed by a very lowly servant. Yet Jesus, the Lord, the Master, the Teacher, he washes the feet; he washes the muck and the mud off of all the disciples. ALL the disciples—the Beloved disciple, the disciple who will deny him, the disciples who will run away, and even of the disciple who he already knows his planning to betray him. As he washes their feet clean, he is also deepening the connection, the intimacy, the relationship. The foot washing of Jesus is both a cleansing and a union with God. The foot washing of Jesus is both that of servant hood as well as a sign of the community becoming the Body of Christ.
After he finishes—after Jesus demonstrates love in action, he spells it out for them—he explains what they must do—they must “wash one another’s feet.” What does that mean? How does that signify love—he tells them he’s giving them a new commandment—it’s not that loving is new—the Mosaic law is based on loving—loving the widow, loving the orphan, loving the vulnerable, the weak, the alien, the stranger, but Jesus is turning this around. He is now speaking the them specifically telling them to love one another in community—which let’s face it is sometimes so much harder to do—have you ever thought about how respectfully, mannerly, kindly we speak to strangers and yet brusquely speak to those we love? It’s like when I’m fussing at my children—stop doing that, that’s awful, you’re being disrespectful—ring “Hello, fine and how are you?” repairman, neighbor, or even survey person who is on the phone.
Jesus doesn’t just tell them what to do—he tells them why—because people will be looking, people will notice—people will recognize you by how you act. When I first officially entered into the discernment process Chris and I had a long talk with the children talking about how things would and would not change. Explaining what it meant for me to be moving towards the priesthood. They seemed to understand and were definitely on board and supportive. I don’t remember how many weeks later this happened ( I hope a lot), and I really don’t remember the specifics, but I do know that one Sunday morning we were all scurrying around and I was fussing, okay yelling, at everyone about everything. As we were getting into the car to get to church so I could preach Caroline (at age 6) calmly asked, “Do you think the people in church know how you act at home?” (LONG PAUSE) If we’re honest, there are so many horrific things that have been done by Christians some even in the name of Christianity—that is what Jesus is warning against. He wants us to be identified by our love for one another by the way we treat each other equally and with respect not keeping score, not being tit for tat, but serving and loving everyone in our community and then extending it beyond.
It is important to recognize that Jesus is not commanding us to feel love—no one can make us feel—no, Jesus is commanding us to act in love; to behave in ways that are loving even when we don’t feel like it. Jesus commands us to love—not in words but in action; in selfless giving unconditionally and nonjudgmentally. Our behaviors can lead to our heart, but it is not easy. Studies show that on average to form a habit—to make something become automatic, you have to deliberately repeat it for at least 66 days, but there is a range of 18-254 days. Jesus commands us to love people in ordinary every day acts. He used a towel—a kitchen towel—but that towel spoke volumes. He washed feet; he performed an ordinary act with a towel-- practical, daily, ordinary work. Jesus surrendered his dignity; his power—he released competition and served without claims of authority. In doing so, along with his willingness to be crucified, we are united with God. He dwells in us and we in him. We can certainly perform great magnificent acts of love, but just as important, perhaps more so, are the simple everyday things. It’s the way we treat each other when we see each other—it’s not spreading out so no one else will sit with us in the pew or not supporting their ministry because they don’t support ours. It’s not gossiping and faultfinding; no it’s tangible simple things that build one another up and therefore build up the entire Body of Christ.
In the book This Odd and Wondrous Calling, Martin Copenhaver says about the Christian community and how we are to act, “Pastors (remember we are a priesthood of believers) are expected to care for those they did not choose and perhaps would never have chosen under any other circumstances. The church, like the family, is a place where we try to learn how to live with those we are stuck with. Of course, we are not always able to pull it off. But in those times when we are able to live with, and perhaps even love, those we are stuck with, the church can still give us glimmers of the love of the God who is stuck with us all.”
Tonight as you come forward and Father Charles and I wash your feet, remember that this act reminds us that we forgive and we are forgiven that it is a sign that we are the body of Christ. Remember that and also think about all the others here at St. Mark’s and around the world whose feet are being washed; who are being cleansed—children, adults, men, women, black, white, and every other color, gay, straight, democrats, republicans—and think to yourself, whose feet am I willing to wash; whose feet do I need to wash?