Thoughts for the Day

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This passage from John's Gospel comes before yesterday's reading and I touched on it then when thinking of our senses. But today on Maundy Thursday it bears looking at in more detail. When a Deacon or Priest is ordained in the Church they are given a "charge" by their Bishop. I had three of these, the first as a Deaconess. I remember, almost as it it were burnt into my soul, that I was charged to serve the people in the parish. It's why I believe so strongly in collaborative ministry, where priest and people work together, to carry out God's mission each in a different role with different responsibilities.

Well that's fine, and for many of us it's easy to go around serving others since there is a kind of pride involved that says "See how good I am at doing X, Y or Z!" But what of the opposite side of the coin? We see Peter here at first refusing to let Jesus wash his feet. He doesn't want to be vulnerable. He wants to remain in control. It's humbling to have to accept his Lord carrying out the meanest slave's job.

Like Peter we can find it hard to be vulnerable, yet we are born completely dependant as a baby, and often become so at times of illness or old-age. Similarly, we can find it hard to be washed clean of our sin - to be vulnerable before God as we admit our mistakes. But only when we have experienced this can we hope to help others so that our service to them comes from a deep well of compassion and understanding. As writer Brene Brown says: “Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart." It would help Peter to understand that his mission to God's people was not to be only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles (Acts 10).

Lord Jesus Christ,
You call us to serve one another,
with love and compassion,
as You served Your disciples.
You also call us to
allow others to serve us
when we need help
and are vulnerable.
May we learn to generously give
and to generously receive
Amen.