Thoughts for the Day

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. ’

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.....'

'Little children, I am with you only a little longer.... I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

John's account of the last Passover supper that Jesus had with the disciples is different to that found in the Synoptic Gospels (Synoptic = 'seeing or viewing together') in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which cover a lot of the same subject matter in similar ways. John does not, for instance, have an account of Jesus giving his disciples the bread and the wine which was to become our Communion Service (also called 'The Eucharist' or 'The Mass ' or 'The Lord's Supper') that we traditionally celebrate today on Maundy Thursday. But he does mention that Jesus humbled himself to serve His disciples by washing their feet, as a servant, and demonstrating his great love for them.

This example vividly brings to my mind a picture from years ago of the Bishop of Hereford and the Bishop of Worcester, washing and drying the feet of hundreds of pilgrims of all ages who had walked between their two Dioceses over the previous week. When the towels became too wet they resorted to using their purple cassocks to dry the feet of the pilgrims. It was a truly humbling moment.

Deacons, pastors, ministers, priests and lay readers are all called to humbly serve their people after the example our Lord. And each of us is called to obey Jesus' New Commandment: "To love one another, just as I have loved you".

Lord Jesus Christ,
help us not to forget that each of us
is called to love and serve one another,
as You loved and served Your disciples.
May we also never forget
that You were to give up Your life
for the sins of he whole world,
as a sign of Your love for us.
Amen.