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SERMONS

Maundy Thursday
April 8, 2004

I can understand Peter's hesitation. After all, I have my pride. There are some parts of my body that I'm pretty happy with, some parts of my body that I don't really mind having on display. But feet are, well, feet. My feet are not a fashion feature. We don't have feet for decoration or display. We have feet to move us from one place to another. They're workers.

If this is true for us in Madison, Mississippi in the twenty-first century, who generally wear comfortable, well-designed shoes and do any significant traveling seated in a car or train or airplane, how much more was it true for Peter and his colleagues. They wore open sandals, and most of their traveling was by foot.

So I can understand Peter's hesitation when his teacher and lord grabbed a towel and stooped to wash his feet. There are some parts of us that are not for public display. Some parts of us that are an embarrassment. Some parts of us that we would prefer not to acknowledge, perhaps not even to ourselves.

"No, Lord," said Peter, "you will never wash my feet."

But Jesus is feeling the press of time. He knows that there is not much left. He answers Peter, "Unless I wash you you have no share with me. I love you, Peter. And I will love all of you. Even that part of you that you prefer not to show. Even that part of you that you wish to deny. You must allow me all of you or I will take nothing. Time is short. I will have all or nothing."

And so he washes Peter's feet. And so he continues around the room washing the feet of each of his companions. Each of them. Even the feet of Judas. The feet of the one who he knows will soon betray him. Such is his love.

Patrick Malloy writes, "What we will celebrate on Saturday night-the rising of Jesus that we will celebrate on Saturday night-begins now. The mystery of death giving way to life begins now. Now Jesus begins to draw a picture for us on the canvas of his very life: a picture of the power of God, and the reign of God, and the life of God that dwells in every human being. The picture he paints is not a mad scramble to the top … but a man, about to die, kneeling at the feet of those who will desert him, keeling there and washing their feet. To wash the feet of the other is where to find the power and the reign and the life of God. And to be humble enough, when your turn comes-to be humble enough to let them wash yours."

The love of Jesus embraces all. No one stands outside its circle. And no part of any of those he loves is excluded.

David Christian
The Chapel of the Cross
Madison, Mississippi